


Red Heat

by ImmaDoAThing



Series: Broken Heat [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alpha!Theo, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Drug Abuse, F/F, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Omega!Maria, beta!eliza, domestic abuse, forced drug abuse, might not be so implied in future chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-09-07 08:40:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 38,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8791006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImmaDoAThing/pseuds/ImmaDoAThing
Summary: When Officer Theodosia Prevost replies to a call about a drugged out Omega hiding in a shed, she doesn't expect to bond with the poor thing. She already has one mate, she really didn't think there was going to be room for another. But she does bond with her and opens herself and her other mate Eliza Schuyler to the messed up world of Maria Reynolds. Can the two get to the bottom of how Maria ended up in a shed overdosed on Heat Suppressants and help their new Omega begin to heal?Updates Mondays (On Hiatus... sorry everyone....)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry guys, the winner of the contest was Call Me John Laurens... I'll see you in a month with the complete second chapter of Red Heat!
> 
> Without further ado: Lezgo!
> 
> (police 10 code: 10-50- Under influence of drugs, 10-29H- Hazard potential from subject. But 10 codes are variable from one department to another and are discouraged from use by the Federal Emergency Management Agency because of this.)

“Unit 1746, respond to a 10-50, possible 10-29H at…”

Officer Prevost listened to the scanner call her number and describe the call she was being sent on. She was patrolling the neighborhoods in her jurisdiction, almost at the end of her shift, and really didn’t need to take this kind of call…

Theo really hated these types of calls. The ones where she was forced to look into the eyes of a scared/drugged out omega and command them to stop, force them to comply. Any other alpha on the force could just as easily taken the call. But Theo knew the other alpha officers wouldn’t take care of the omega the way they needed.

Knox was too abrasive; he didn’t care whether the omega was well or not, just wanted to get them into custody. Green was nice, but he didn’t think before he spoke; he would have the Omega suing the precinct as soon as they got their wits about them. Any number of the other officers would follow protocol by the book and simply drop the poor thing into the drunk tank without checking to see what drugs the omega was on, not thinking about the consequences of putting an omega who was off on their birth control into a room full of drunks and drug addicts.

No, to answer these calls you needed tact and compassion. Something Officer Theodosia Prevost had in spades. She responded to the call and turned her cruiser, “Unit 1746, 10-4.”

When she arrived at the quaint home she noticed a mother and her son standing in the front yard. The mother was visibly upset and waved Theo over as if she was just an officer passing by and the woman hadn’t specifically called for police assistance.

“She’s holed up in my shed, stinking to high heaven.” The mother started in on Theo before she had a chance to step out of her cruiser. She made a distasteful noise in the back of her throat. “Had to keep my boy all the way in the front yard to keep him from being influenced. Why they keep letting omegas control their own birth control is beyond me. Especially with the side-effects of abusing the medications.”

Theo fought to keep her eyes from rolling in her head. It was a fairly common sentiment among alphas and betas. If omegas couldn’t control the side effects that came along with heat suppressors, they shouldn’t be allowed to regulate their own bodies. It didn’t matter that birth control was an underfunded and inexact science. What worked well for one omega could be catastrophic for another. And after a time, the body could build up immunity to the suppressors and cause unexpected heats. Theo had a lot of experience with omegas coming into heat in the cells of the precinct and having to quickly get them out of general lockup and into a private cell. Overdose of heat suppressors was just as difficult, the omega going into such an intense heat that it would trigger any other omega into a heat of their own.

This is probably what was happening to the omega in the irate woman’s shed. She held her son, an omega, away from the back yard, but probably didn’t need to. He was only 10 or 11, not old enough to go into his first heat yet. And the shed was a good 30 feet away, not far enough for the pheromones to reach especially through the walls of the shed.

“I’ll take care of this, ma’am.” Theo laid a soothing hand on the woman’s arm. “If you and your son wouldn’t mind going back inside. I’ll get her into my car and be out of your hair.”

Theo tried flashing the woman her most charming smile but the beta woman simply ‘hrumphed’ and drug her son into the house.

Theo cautiously approached the shed, her instincts telling her that this might get messy. The wall of pheromones hit her like a brick building about 5 feet from the shed. She could smell the off-ness of the heat from here. Poor thing was overdosed on a heat suppressor. Pretty badly too, judging by the heavy chemical undertone of the pheromones. Theo shook her head to bring her attention to the task at hand and tried to not breathe too deeply as she opened the shed.

The abject terror that rolled out of the building was almost more overpowering than the pheromones. The tiny woman scrambled over herself to get as far away from the doorway as possible. She was panting, sweaty, covered in dirt and scrapes. Her muscles were twitching uncontrollably. Theo could see bruises all over her body; peeking out from under the thin red sundress the girl was wearing. It was certainly too cold to be wearing a sundress, it was early December, but she was sweating all the same.

“No, no, no, no… Please, no- Don’t, I can’t- Don’t take me back, not to him. No, no, no, no, no…” The woman in the shed cried, she held her forearms across her chest and panted. Tears leaked from her eyes, her fear of whoever ‘he’ was forcing them out of her body.

Theo tried to smile reassuringly and let her alpha fill the air with calm and responded, “You won’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to, Omega. May I come in and sit with you?”

The girl shivered and shifted to get farther into the shed, but she searched Theo’s face and must have found something reassuring. She nodded. Theo closed the door and crouched as far away from the omega as possible. The smell of the drugged heat was oppressive. There was no way this girl could be taken down to the station. She must be on 4 times the usual dosage of suppressors for a male omega twice her size. This girl had to be 90 pounds soaking wet, her hair was dark and dirty and no telling what color it actually was with all the dirt and sweat in it. She had an olive skin tone where she wasn’t pale with fear or mottled with bruises and scrapes, her terrified eyes were a honey brown. Theo took off her jacket and held it out to the omega, “You look like you’re freezing, would you like my jacket?”

The omega’s eyes, wide with her terror raked up and down the jacket and then past the jacket to Theodosia. She shivered again. Some of the panic had leeched out of her voice but was replaced by sluggish speech that was more indicative of suppressor overdose, “Not cold, too hot… Heat. Wrong… He… drugs…”

She shook her head as if trying to remember something. The hormones from her heat, and the overdose of heat suppressants must have addled the omega’s brain. Theo waved the jacket some more, her own sent breaking through the omega’s. Even with the drugged heat, it was too cold in this December morning to have so little on, “How about this: I promise to not take you back to ‘him’ if you take this jacket. My word as a Police woman as well as an Alpha.”

The girl searched Theo for what must have been the 100th time; she was so scared. Theo made a decision right there. She wasn’t taking the omega back to the station; neither was she going to take her to the hospital. At the hospital the omega would be treated like a drug addict and that was not the feeling Theo was getting from the girl. Those bruises worried her, there were too many to be accidental. Many were placed defensively, on her arms and shoulders and legs, as if she had been curled in on herself while someone beat her. Theo would find out more about the little omega when she had some food and rest in her.

Unfortunately, it would take far longer to sober the girl up, heat suppressants stayed in the blood stream too long. It was one of the problems that led to overdose; the new dose could compound the rest of the old dose. And the government still called heat suppressant alternatives research a ‘superfluous expenditure, money better spent on real health issues.’ Like erectile dysfunction… because Lupa forbid an Alpha couldn’t get it up.

The little omega reached for the jacket and in the second their fingers brushed, Theo felt the stir of bonding. She was unsure if the omega could feel it in her state, but Theo felt her Alpha reach out to the girl’s Omega circling protectively over it baring it’s teeth at whatever was distressing its mate. It was the swiftness that her Alpha and the girl’s Omega accepted each other that startled Theo. Well that and one other thing…

Theo froze. Her hand went to the soul mark on her side located below her lowest left rib. It was complete, though, she had found her mate. Her soul mate, her mark didn’t have any space left. Other soul marks had room for more; it wasn’t uncommon to have three in a pack. An Alpha with two Betas, or a Beta and an Omega, or even two Omegas. Although the first pairing to a little too combative for Theo’s tastes, and that last pairing would be crazy come heat time if both Omegas went into heat at the same time. Hell, she knew one Omega that had insisted that his pack had room for more with three already and had found a fourth just six months ago. But her mark was complete. It had to be…

But the evidence remained. Her Alpha had responded to the Omega, she had felt the shift. It had happened. There was no way in hell she was taking the poor thing anywhere but home now.

Theodosia Provost, police officer, Alpha, responsible, contributing member of society was about to break the law. She was about to commit an act that would at best get her suspended; at worst, arrested. Theo had only one thought as she picked up the too light omega and bundled her into the cruiser, _Eliza is going to be so pissed…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Groundhog Day!!!! Does it feel like I've already posted today? Weird, Deja Vu....
> 
> Finally the second chapter of Red Heat!!!! Your month of purgatory is over!!!!
> 
> So I'm not really going to put it in the actual narrative of this story, but I see this being set in some alternate universe analog of San Francisco. When I describe the city and houses, I hope you see that too. I just like the idea of the architecture and landscape of San Francisco, but I’ve never been there and I don’t want to completely ruin it by trying to write about something I don’t know too well and I don’t feel like putting a lot of research into this story. I want to write what I know and make up the lore for this universe as I go for the rest.
> 
> In other words, I'm putting in a hell of a lot of research writing the Call Me John Laurens universe and I can get bogged down in research. And getting bogged down is a surefire way for me to loose interest in writing altogether so I'm gonna try to avoid that at all costs.

She woke up to the feeling of a soft bed and the sent of clean sheets and pillows. The unfamiliar room should have been terrifying. Maria didn’t even remember how she got… wherever she was.

She sat up and looked around the room. Large bed set in the middle of the wall, white wood head- and footboard. The sheets, pillowcases and comforter were coordinating shades of lilac and pastel green. The walls were a soft sea blue. At the other end of the room were two doors, one presumably went to the rest of the house, and the other could be a closet. Along the wall opposite of the windows was a white wood dresser with a large mirror set on it. The mirror caught the light of the sun; just on it’s decent to night. Had it been early morning when her Alpha had found her? 

Her Alpha… The capitalization in her mind was strange. There had been other alphas in her life, her father, a boyfriend, Him… but none of them ranked the capitol ‘A.’ She felt a trill of excitement when she thought of her Alpha. 

She should feel frightened. She should be trying to leave, run as far from Him as possible. Keep her Alpha safe from His anger, His wrath. But here she was content. Because deep in her mind, her omega whispered to her: _Safe. Safe. Safe. Safe._ Her base instincts had never been that content, it almost set her off in a panic attack. 

In fact her arms and legs began to quake. The feeling radiating into her stomach and chest. How could she be feeling safe and as close to happy as she had ever been but still be shaking? She realized it wasn’t nerves when her temperature spiked and suddenly she was covered in acrid sweat that smelled of chemicals even to her own nose. 

Your own pheromones were deadened to your nose because you smelled them so much. However, this much of a change in her scent had her gasping. Tears were being forced out of her as she sat shaking on the bed, trying not to cry, trying not to call out. She didn’t know who else would be in the house, didn’t want to bother anyone. When she was bothersome, she was punished.

But she hoped that the Alpha would come check on her, see her need and help. Instead of leaving her here to deal with this on her own; or worse see her in this state and scoff or laugh, tell her that this was her own fault and how bad an omega she was.

She didn’t realize the Alpha had entered the room until she was just a foot away from her, almost on the bed. Her hand was outstretched palm out in a calming motion. The buzzing in Maria’s ears, or more the pounding of her own heart, drowned out the words that the Alpha said. She couldn’t make out the sounds but if she focused maybe she could read the Alpha’s lips.

She squinted and focused, tried to understand but she was shaking so hard her eyes were unable to focus. Maybe if she just asked her to help? “I-I can’t… P-p-please… Help?”

Apparently that was all she had to say. The Alpha was on the bed with her, wrapping Maria in her strong arms and bracing Maria’s body against the tremors. The sent of her Alpha was calming and Maria shamelessly buried her face in the Alpha’s neck, breathing deep. A glass of water appeared in the Alpha’s hand, she tipped it up to Maria’s lips and some of the water dribbled onto the bed. Maria tried to apologize, flinched when the glass was moved away from her. Expected the hand to come back empty with a smack, but it didn’t. The Alpha’s hand did come back, but with a hair tie as she smoothed Maria’s ratty hair away from her face and pulled it off of her neck. The simple act cooled Maria exponentially. She sighed and, although she was still shaking uncontrollably, she began to drift to the sound of her omega’s chant: _Safe. Safe. My Alpha. Safe. Safe. My Alpha. Safe._

 

_***_

 

They stayed like this for god knew how long; the sun continued it’s decent into night, turning the sky golden and orange in its farewell to the day. Theo just kept rocking her Omega. She was content to stay like this as long as the tiny girl needed her. But there was something that her alpha was screaming in her head: _Protect, care, provide! Find Him. Kill Him! Protect my Omega!_ She knew what the alpha instincts wanted. They wanted Eliza to come home take over taking care of their new mate while Theo roamed the streets searching for the man who had turned their mate into this pathetic shell of an omega. She wanted to find Him and rip Him to shreds.

Especially when the girl flinched when water dribbled past her lips and fell onto the bed. She expected to be hit for not being able to control her withdrawal symptoms… Especially when the girl began to drift between consciousness and unconsciousness and began to apologize to Him for running away. She begged Him to not hurt her, promised to be a good girl. Tried to think of ways to make it up to Him that didn’t involve Him attacking her new mates.

Theo’s blood ran cold and she wished the girl were conscious enough for Theo to speak to her. Tell her that her Alpha was not going to let her within 100 feet of the monster she was apologizing to. That if Theo ever saw the man, he would be the one to flinch at every tiny movement, he would be the one who would quiver, only he would shake in fear. She would make him be the one to apologize. She began to imagine all the ways she could make him apologize… 

She really needed Eliza’s calm head to come talk her out of it… 

Theo would already be in enough trouble at the Precinct without finding some random citizen and murdering him in what the authorities would see as cold blood. At least this transgression, taking the girl home instead of to the precinct or a hospital, may be explained away as an alpha’s instincts taking over to protect a mate at all costs. That part of Alpha Stereotypes could turn in her favor. If she played it right, she might not loose her job over this…

Theo’s phone buzzed. Eliza was finally off of work. 

**My Queen: I’m leaving work. Is she ok?**

Theo had called Eliza the second she was on her way home to fill her in. Of course, just like Theo, Eliza could feel the omega entering their Mate-Bond. But it was a courtesy thing, a respect that she had for her mate. Anything that could be felt over the Bond merited at the very least a text message. 

Theo texted back.

**Foxxxy Mama: She’s resting, sort of. Please hurry home. Need you to stop me from doing something drastic.**

**My Queen: Like bonding with a total stranger?**

**My Queen: Joking! Love you. Hurrying home!**

**Foxxxy Mama: Love you more.**

Theo huffed. She knew this would be a little awkward with Eliza… hell, she didn’t know how she felt about this herself. She pulled up the tank top she’d changed into when she got home and examined the Soul Mark on her lower ribs. 

Theo and Eliza’s mark was symbolized in a sparrow for Eliza and a fox for Theo. The blotchy mark was small, maybe an inch or two around, but average sized for a simple two-mate bond. It had never seemed like there would be room for another, and Theo and Eliza were incredibly happy to have found each other. 

But now there was a tiny rose shape twining between the fox and sparrow. It was just a bud and it’s stem twisted and curled around the sparrow’s wings and the fox’s tail. Barely taking up space, almost cramped, it matched the small scrap of humanity that lay in Theo’s arms. However, it carved out it’s space in the Soul Mark with a tenacity that Theo hoped would show itself in the girl once they got her clean of the heat suppressants and free of whatever existed in her past that had brought her to this point. 

Theo didn’t know which she hoped more, that the girl had a family or that she had no one? If she had no one, then the world had severely betrayed the poor girl and Theo couldn’t fight the entire planet… If she had a family, that meant that they may have a hand in whatever had happened to her… And Theo didn’t want to fight family either…

Theo’s family had always been small and her parents had died long ago, leaving her with only a handful of living relatives. Only one of which she saw or talked to with any regularity. She was used to being the lone alpha when she met Eliza. 

 

***

 

They had met at the Police Benefit Ball. While not the only officer from her precinct there, Theo had been required to go by her chief. He said they pulled names from a hat, but Theo got the distinct impression that her name had been the only one in that particular pool. She had showed up, full regalia, only three months out of training. Nervous to be around so many people with so much money and so much riding on how well she behaved. She had stuck by the edges of the crowd while the rest of the officers mingled and enjoyed themselves. It was rare when officers got paid to have a good time. 

Eliza was the daughter of a senator. One of the biggest donors to the police department, so each and every officer there was required to have a conversation with Senator Phillip Schuyler. Theo wanted to wait for the very end of the night to speak to him, be able to just say thank you and good night and leave it at that. But her girlfriend at the time, a pretty little beta girl who was the life of the party, dragged Theo over and started talking politics. Theo had embarrassedly tried to stop the girl but Eliza had stepped in and started a conversation with Theo.

“Between you and me, he loves talking to his constituents.” Eliza had smiled and mock whispered.

“I just know that this isn’t supposed to be an affair where he gets grilled on his environmental positions…” Theo responded. She fiddled with the badge on her hat nervously, not looking up from the garment. 

“Oh, he hates all the kowtowing. ‘Thank you so much, senator, for your continued support of the police department. Look at everything your money has helped us to do over the past year.’” Elisa chuckled with a sparkle in her eye, imitating the Chief of Police perfectly.

“‘Please sir, give us more money.’” Theo finally looked up and caught herself staring at the gorgeous young woman. _Oh, shit._

“My name is Elizabeth Schuyler. Most people call me Eliza. It’s nice to meet you.” Eliza held out her hand to shake.

“Theodosia Prevost.” Theo responded, reaching out to shake hands, then overthinking it. She then remembered that she was in full regalia and ended up doing an awkward half salute half bow. Eliza had laughed, a sound like bells tinkling.

“How long have you been on the force, Theodosia?” Eliza asked as the conversation between the senator and Theo’s girlfriend continued, topic changing to a road repaving project the city needed to start, ‘Could you put pressure on local officials to start the project sooner rather than later?’

“Th-three months.” Theo stammered. “And most people call me Theo.”

“Ah. Low man on the totem pole, Theo?” Eliza asked. 

“Yah.” Theo said, and then blushed stammering, trying to fix the snub.

“It’s alright!” Eliza laughed. “Most officers hate these things, some do like them though.” She looked over to where Officer Green was laughing uproariously at some joke he probably made himself. 

Someone else got the Senator’s attention and Eliza followed after her father, smiling at Theo and bidding her good night. 

Soul Bonding didn’t always happen instantaneously, for some it was gradual; others had the ‘love at first sight’ zing. For Eliza and Theo it had been gradual and then all at once. The two saw each other a few times after that. Theo falling for the quiet beta girl a little more every time. She broke up with her girlfriend two months after meeting Eliza, in a knockdown, drag-out fight that Theo’s friends still laugh about. The other woman insisted that Theo was cheating because she was so distracted and distant. Theo couldn’t blame her for suspecting that, though. She surely didn’t spend much time with the other girl after the Police Benefit Ball. 

The night Theo and Eliza bonded, though…

 

***

 

Theo was shocked out of her reverie by the sound of the front door opening. In the otherwise silent house, the sound was as loud as a gunshot. 

“Love?” Came Eliza’s soft voice.

“Guest room.” Theo said, her grip tightening on the sleeping omega.

She knew the second the smell hit her mate even around the corner. Eliza paused, blew out a breath, and sighed before continuing into the room. She was a sight for sore eyes and Eliza’s mere presence calmed the angry slant to her thoughts, relaxed Theo to the point that she no longer felt the need to attack a person she’d never met.

“Oh, the poor thing.” Eliza moved to the bed and smoothed some of the hair off of the girl’s shoulder, a concerned frown on her face. “How is she doing?”

“Tremors. Sweats and rambling. I don’t know where she came from, but I am never letting her go back wherever it is. Even if she decides to keep our bond platonic. I'm her Alpha now and I’ll order it if I have to.” Theo’s voice came out a growl, remembering some of the things that the girl had begged and pleaded for in her haze.

“That bad?” Eliza asked. Her eyes were beginning to tear up just imagining what their new mate had been through. She was able to see the bruising and filth that the girl was covered in. Theo had been able to get her into a t-shirt and spare pair of basketball shorts. “She’s so thin…”

“Yah. And the bruising just gets worse when you get to where clothes usually cover.” Theo pet the girl’s back.

“Did you get to ask her name?” Eliza asked.

“I did, but she was too out of it to answer. We could try again to get any information with the both of us here. At least the bond will compel her to answer without us using our positions over her…” Theo scrunched up her face; she hated using her alpha status to get others to do something. 

Suddenly, Eliza chuckled. Theo shot a questioning look at her mate. “I’m sorry. Its not all that funny, but you just seem to have a knack for collecting broken toys.”

“Neither of you are toys…” Theo cocked an eyebrow. “And you aren’t broken…”

“Mulligan and Lafayette?” Eliza cocked her eyebrow in response. Sometimes she regretted teaching her mate to do that when they were in their flirty, just-bonded stage. “You were looking after them long before Alex came along. And then how you took John under your wing when he joined that whole snafu. And don’t get me started on Aaron.”

“Aaron doesn’t count. He’s related. Family shouldn’t count.” Theo huffed. There were too many people in Theo’s life that Eliza could bring up to prove her point… “Or do you want me to pull in the other Schuylers?”

“Fine! You win. We aren’t broken toys. But you do mama bear us a lot.” Eliza conceded.

“You are forgetting that I'm a fox, love. You are all my wayward kits.” Theo loved their banter; a few years ago, Eliza would never have been able to shoot back pithy responses. She was too timid, too unsure of herself after the disgrace that was her first marriage. Theo had fixed that, brought her back to the intelligent confident woman that she could be. The woman she had met at the Police Benefit Ball. “Anyway, Hercules is the bear.”

“In more ways than one.” The twinkle in her mate’s eye told Theo that Eliza knew the double meaning in her statement. And the comment surprised a laugh out of her. 

Unfortunately, the laugh was loud and abrupt enough to wake the sleeping omega on her chest…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwwww!!! Eliza being all sassy! I love it!!!!! And Theodosia’s need to fix everything.
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who has two thumbs and is going to Disneyland for Dapper Day this April????? This girl!!!!!!!!! I’m so freaking excited!!!!! I’m a seamstress, so I’m making myself new dresses for the entire time I’m out in California! I seriously can’t even wait!!!!!!!
> 
> This entire series is just me giving myself a set of Lesbian characters that I would kill to see actually on television or in a movie. Like why can’t we have these nice, well-rounded characters who don’t cheat on each other, who love each other, and who’s relationships aren’t based either on some kind of shock factor or on a male perspective of Lesbian culture??? Plus, I’m pretty sure none of the girls are going to die, so I’m not playing the ‘kill your gays’ card. 
> 
> I'm a sappy romantic.

Maria woke again, this time to the sound of laughter. It was like a bark of joy, cut off quickly with a ‘shhh’. Her eyes fluttered open and she realized that the tremors had subsided. She could focus a bit. 

There were two people in the bed with her. The first was her Alpha; she was lying over the other woman’s chest wrapped in warm, strong arms. She looked at the woman, getting a clear look for the first time. She was lean, had strong limbs, and dark cocoa skin that was soft and smooth. The woman would be taller than Maria by at least a foot, standing. Her eyes were light amber with dark flecks of brown and her hair was braided in tiny braids that cascaded over her shoulders and ended in gold beads. Her lips were full and her nose strong; there was a proud arch to her brows that was mirrored in the rest of her features. Everything about this woman screamed confident alpha.

The other woman was beautiful as well, but in a calmer, more dignified way. She also would be taller than Maria, but only by a few inches. Her almond shaped eyes held a sparkle and kindness that Maria wanted to always have directed at her. Her lips were thinner, more of a bow shape, small nose, brows thin and perfectly arched. The second woman’s hair was jet black and straight as a pin. She was a beta. She was the other member of Maria’s new mate bond.

Maria didn’t know either of their names…

“Good morning, Sunshine.” The woman underneath her greeted. Maria frowned, that was wrong. The Alpha was the sunshine. She was confidence and radiance, protection and warmth. Maria felt so safe and content in her embrace it was overwhelming. She didn’t know how to express this to the other woman, wasn’t sure how her words would be received. He never wanted her to talk…

“Can you tell us your name?” The beta, her Beta, asked. Her voice was light and mesmerizing. The Beta’s warm smile tore through Maria’s chest. She wanted to wrap herself around the Beta and never let her leave. She was calm serenity; she was the moonlight filtering through the trees to light up a forest trail at midnight. 

The intensity of her emotions scared Maria… She had never felt this much this fast. Was this what a real Mate Bond was? He had told her that they weren’t real. He said that Mate Bonding was a fairy tale told to gullible children and whoever believed in them deserved to be treated like a child. He had locked her in the room for days after she brought it up, until she agreed with him. Until she believed that He was the only one for her.

But He wasn’t. He was wrong about Mate Bonding. Here was her evidence, two gorgeous women whose attention was on her waiting for her to answer a simple question. “I’m sorry. My name is Maria.”

She wouldn’t give them her last name, His last name. She would keep that to herself.

“Well, hello Maria. I’m Eliza and this is my, our mate Theo.” ‘Our mate.’ The two words where music to Maria. She nodded. Maria’s eyes flitted around the room, coming back to Eliza and Theo’s faces every so often. She didn’t want to anger the other women by looking too long, but she also didn’t want to look away. He never wanted her to stare at him, but it was sometimes the only way she could get a bearing on His mood. She probably looked a little twitchy.

Theo, Lupa even their names were beautiful, rubbed her hands up and down Maria’s arms. The muscles under Theo’s hands immediately relaxed. Her voice was deep and resonant when she asked, “Would you be interested in a shower?”

“I think a bath would be better,” Eliza said with a tiny frown, a crease appearing between her eyebrows. Maria stilled; frowns were bad. Frowns meant displeasure and any form of displeasure meant punishment… 

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened. She waited for the explosion, the smack. Maybe her new Beta would prefer to slap her when displeased and would call it a day? She was dreaming, hoping that it wouldn’t go further. Leave it at that, a swift hit, maybe to the face or arm and then the irritation would be gone and she’d be all smiles and wonderful, cheerful, melodic voice again. Eliza’s frown deepened and Maria began to hyperventilate. The Beta leaned to Maria and she flinched away, knowing that flinching would only make her punishment worse but was unable to stop herself. 

Only the smack never came. She found herself wrapped in two sets of arms, soothing sounds from Theo and Eliza cutting through the panic triggered by the Beta’s displeasure. Theo’s head rested on her back while Eliza pulled Maria’s head forward to rest in the crook of her neck and shoulder. She was shaking again. They were talking but the words were not breaking through. Another wave of quaking, coupled with a temperature spike and that disgusting sweat and she was flying through the air, Theo’s arms under her knees and behind her back. Eliza walked in front of them, through another bedroom and into to a bathroom. They put her in the huge tub with her clothes still on. The faucet was turned on; warm water rushed in and surrounded her. 

Eliza disappeared and she realized that Theo was in the tub with her, fully clothed. It took too long, but she calmed enough to hear the litany of words falling from her Alpha’s mouth. “…so good. You are safe, Omega. I will protect you. I will never hurt you. You are safe. Eliza will protect you too. Such a good Omega. Neither of us will ever hurt you. You are protected. You are loved, Omega. I will love you forever. I will always be here. You are safe.”

Theo was behind her; wrapping her arms and legs around her, surrounding her. Theo’s face was buried in her neck and she spoke the words into Maria’s skin. Maria sighed and relaxed, the motion alerting Theo to her calming. “Hey little one, are you ok?”

“Yah… I'm sorry.”

“For what?” Theo asked turning them both so they could look in each other’s eyes. Maria immediately lowered her gaze. But Theo brought her eyes up with a gentle hand under her chin. 

“For getting so upset…” Maria mumbled.

“That’s not your fault.” Theo’s eyes searched Maria’s face. She wanted to shake off her Alpha’s hands, curl in on herself and go away, she didn’t want to try to explain herself.

“Inconveniencing you.” Maria said, looking anywhere other than in her Alpha’s eyes.

“You are not an inconvenience.” Theo pulled Maria to her and hugged her tight. “You are my Omega. You are a beautiful little one who needs to be protected and nurtured and allowed to grow.”

“I’m sorry.” Maria said again.

“Nothing to be sorry for, love.” Theo said. “Can I help you wash?”

Maria nodded and Theo got a washcloth and lathered it with body wash. Everything exposed, arms and legs, face and shoulders was scrubbed down and rinsed off. Maria ducked her head under the water and when she came up, Theo had shampoo already ready to massage into her hair. Maria sighed as Theo’s hands gently worked the shampoo into a lather, fingers catching in some of the tangles.

“Sorry. Did I pull your hair?” Theo asked moving to the ends of Maria’s long hair, so long it hung well below her waist.

“No, Alpha. ‘s nice.” Theo chuckled and continued to massage the shampoo into her hair. The rhythmic motions were lulling Maria off to sleep again. Much of Maria’s hair could be rinsed out simply by letting it hang into the water, but there was some above the water that wouldn’t reach unless she moved. She didn’t want to move; the warm water and Theo’s ministrations were leaving her with a boneless feeling. Theo’s chuckle sounded again as she cupped water into her hands and drizzled it onto the top of her head.

“If I have to do this to wash the rest of the shampoo out of your hair, we will never leave this tub, your eminence.” Theo said.

“Don’t wanna move…” Maria whined. She was already mostly asleep again. Theo’s arms were wrapped around her with one hand resting on Maria’s Soul Mark and her thumb rounding circles around the mark. “Soooo nice. Comfor’ble.”

“I’ll make you a deal: we rinse your hair now, and I’ll let you use Eliza’s special leave-in conditioner so that we don’t have to re-rinse it later.” Theo said.

“What’s the other part of the deal?” Maria asked.

“That’s it. Rinse now, we get out and get dried off, leave-in conditioner and then I’ll even comb your hair. Would you like that, little one?” Theo asked.

“Yessssss.” Maria sighed and rolled her head to look at her mate’s face. She realized that she was very close to Theo’s lips. She wanted to reach out and pull the other woman’s head down until their lips met, but that would involve moving and her muscles had begun to ache from the shaking. She settled for peppering little kisses along the other woman’s jaw, whispering, “You are so beautiful, Alpha. So pretty and kind. Better than him. Best of Alphas, best of women.”

Theo had stilled under Maria the second her lips began to trail along Theo’s jaw. If she weren’t so relaxed and exhausted, Maria would have noticed immediately. Would have stopped and apologized and ran. But as it was Theo simply pushed out a breath and said, “Rinse now.”

“Rinse now.” Maria agreed. Then asked, “Kisses later?”

No response. Maria pouted but dunked her head under the water, Theo’s hands shaking out the strands of her hair to make sure the shampoo washed out all the way. When she came up for air, Theo was jumping out of the tub to grab towels and she came back with a change of clothes. She was wrapped in a towel that was more like a fuzzy blanket and bundled off to the guest bedroom again. Theo gave her some privacy to change and then sat on the bed to rub the conditioner into her hair and brush it. Maria had to sit forward for Theo to accomplish the detangling feat so she had no more chances for kisses.

Then Theo was pulling the blankets up around her shoulders and shutting off the lights, bidding Maria sweet dreams. Maria was asleep in seconds.

 

***

 

Eliza was cleaning in the kitchen after preparing her famous chicken soup when Theo came in. Her back was turned away from the doorway so she didn’t see how agitated her mate was as she began to talk.

“I made chicken soup, should be done in about an hour. I thought it best to go soothing and filling on our meal choices for the next few days. Stuff that won’t hurt too much coming up, but will help her immune system to fight the drugs. I wonder, whoah-!!” Theo came right up behind her and wrapped her arms around Eliza’s waist pressing their hips into the counter and grinding down. Her face buried itself into Eliza’s hair and she breathed deeply taking in all the sent of her mate as she could before nibbling on Eliza’s neck. “What is going on?”

Theo didn’t respond, just turned Eliza around so that they were facing each other and claimed her lips with a low growl. Their hips connected again and Eliza moaned into the mouth that was on hers. Eliza’s back arched as Theo began to play with the spot on her mate’s hip that drove her Beta crazy. Theo’s mouth dropped to nip a trail along Eliza’s neck to her collarbone, tongue delving into the hollow she found there.

“Not that I'm complaining,” Eliza began on a pant, cradling her mate’s head and pulling it back from her a bit so that she could see her Alpha’s face, “But what happened to make you so ready to go, Darling?”

“She kissed me in the tub.” Theo growled, eyes dark with arousal and a bit uncertain. “She kissed me and it was literally all I could do not to drag the clothes off of her and take her in the fucking bathroom. Called me ‘Best of Alphas’ for Lupa’s sake.”

Eliza could see the conflicted shame and desire in her Alpha’s eyes, it almost dripped off of her. “And why would that have been bad? You’re mated to her. Presumably both adults, hopefully. And even if she is still underage, the law would protect the both of you with sufficient evidence of a Mate bond.”

Theo huffed, her mate: ever the logical lawyer. Elisa tapped the lowest rib on her mate’s left side, where their Soul Mark was located. She tipped her head to the side. “Why are you so conflicted, Darling?”

“I don’t want it to seem like I'm taking advantage of her.” Theo squeezed her mate into a tighter hug, seeking the comfort of her Beta. Eliza supplied it instinctually, wrapping her Alpha up in her arms and rocking them both a bit. Theo rested her head on Eliza’s chest. “She’s just so fragile and I know that the Suppressors are messing with her head right now, I want to be with her, but I want it to be her decision. One she makes with a completely clear head. I want her to want us. I want us to be a pack. Fully and completely.”

Lupa, how Theo longed for a pack of her own, pups running about and the three of them watching their family grow as generations grew up and had generations of their own. She may have been used to being alone before Eliza, but seeing her mate’s huge family, seeing how they interacted and held together through thick and thin… It sparked a yearning for the same thing in her. 

Eliza knew this. They’d had conversations about it over the years. “It seems like she may want that too…”

“But if I take advantage of her when she’s not fully sure of herself or she doesn’t completely know what she’s doing, I could ruin her trust. I could ruin this relationship.” Theo had a habit of overthinking when it came to relationships… Eliza needed to nip this in the bud before her mate spent the next month worrying about every movement she made toward their Omega.

“Listen, Alpha.” Theo looked up quickly at the stern tone in Eliza’s voice. “Did you take advantage of me when we first bonded?”

“No! But that was dif-“ Eliza cut her mate off.

“No, you didn’t. You supported me, you helped care for me, and you gave me everything I needed. And I came to you in my own time.” Eliza smoothed her hand over the side of Theo’s open and slightly frightened face, tugging a couple of her mate’s braids to drive the message home. “You _are_ the best of Alphas. You will do the same for Maria as you did for me. If she takes less time to come to you then I did, then so be it.”

The troubled look in Theo’s eyes persisted but it was significantly lessened. She sighed but nodded and they stood in each other’s arms for a few moments before a loud crash broke them apart and they ran from the kitchen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What was that loud crash???????
> 
> I think that it’s sweet to see that Theo isn’t some super confident mega-alpha. She has her own insecurities; the scene in the kitchen between Eliza and Theo gives me life. I love fluffy girl-on-girl shit… I'm also super homo. Fight me. But actually don't, bc I'm a weak little ball of fluff...
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! So this chapter I start to earn the violence tag. Heads up! 
> 
> But to offset that, you are meeting some other revolutionary characters in this one. Enjoy!

He was coming after her. It was dark; she had no idea where she was. There were vague forms that may have been buildings on either side of her. For all she knew she was in a maze; some sick labyrinth designed so that no matter how she turned, she always ended up in the same area. 

And He was always right behind her.

She could smell Him; smell His cigarettes and His cheap beer. The disgusting aftershave He used to mask the fact that He was too lazy to shower every day. The stench of sex. Her stomach heaved as the smells washed over her, surrounded her, and invaded her to her core. 

More than once she turned a corner to find his hazy figure blocking her path. More than once she spun and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Too many times she tripped and fell, had to scramble to get back up… He got just that much closer each time she went down.

She didn’t know when He would catch her. Didn’t know how long she had been running. She just knew that he would catch her eventually. Just knew that she had to keep going.

She longed for the protection of her mates, but couldn’t make herself hope that they would come. She didn’t want them anywhere near Him. He would tear them apart and make Maria watch, all the while whistling and smiling. He enjoyed inflicting pain. 

No, she couldn’t wish for them. She would never let Him get His hands on them. Even to her last breath, she would never let Him know where or who they were. Her mates needed to stay safe from Him. Or He would ruin them like He did her…

She turned the corner and found herself in a courtyard of some kind. Like everything in this place, the walls were grey, the floor white tile with grey grout. Like many times before, He was standing at the other side, blocking the other exit. 

Terror twisted her gut. It beat at her chest like a physical thing, choking her. She wanted to run and would have, but there was something different about this place. Two somethings…

“No.” Maria dropped to her knees, all the fight draining out of her. There, in the center of the courtyard were her mates, her sweet Beta and her strong Alpha. How did He know about them? How had He gotten to them? 

“Maria, Maria, Maria… Poor, stupid, gullible child.” His voice echoed around the room cutting into her like knives. Knives He used on her mates.

The white tiles spattered with crimson, tiny cuts opening over the smooth skin. The cream and ebony trailed with the red wetness. She turned her head to vomit. When she came back up, He was standing over her. His hands almost gentile as He lifted her head and stroked a cheek, fingers smearing blood across her face. As he spoke his grip became painful, but Maria couldn’t bring herself to fight back, He had her.

“Where are you, pet? How long do you think you can run from me? How long until I make this,” He motioned to where Eliza and Theo lay, motionless staring out with blank eyes. Dead eyes. “A reality? You belong to me, Omega. I do not share my toys. And when I find you and your whores, I will make you watch as I destroy them for taking what is mine. If I am feeling merciful, I may even let you follow your ‘soul mates’ into the next life.”

He used the grip on her face to throw her to the ground; the last thing she saw was the bottom of his boot descending towards her head.

 

***

 

Maria woke screaming and flailing. She knocked something over as she lurched from the bed and fell in a tangle of sheets and blankets to the floor. Something sharp bit into her palm, white-hot pain slicing through her hand.

The door burst open and she was still stuck in the terror of the dream because she didn’t see the two women entering the room, it was Him. He had found her, He was going to make good on his promise to make her watch as he killed her mates…

Soft hands reached out and cradled her face, made her look into soft brown eyes and soothing words were falling out of the small bow-shaped lips. “Maria, Dearest. You’re safe. You are here in our home. Theo and I are here and you are safe. Can you understand me? Dearest, please focus on me.”

She had to obey the wishes of her Beta. Her Beta was there, alive. He wasn’t there. He didn’t know where they were. Probably didn’t know about her mates. How could he? It was just a dream. Just a bad dream brought on by anxiety, exhaustion, and the drugs leaving her system.

“I broke something…” Maria spoke, her voice tiny. She was still looking into Eliza’s eyes, her face still cradled in the other woman’s hands so she couldn’t look around to see what she had broken. 

Eliza smiled, realizing the terror haze was lifting and her mate was coming back. “It’s fine, Dearest. Nothing of consequence.”

Maria nodded.

“Do you want to have something to eat? The soup should be ready.” Food sounded heavenly. Maria nodded again, moved to get up from the floor. She put her hands onto the ground and yelped.

“What’s wrong?” Theo rushed forward as Maria pulled her right hand close to her chest. “You’re bleeding!”

A large piece of ceramic was lodged in the muscle below her pinky finger; she winced but didn’t try to remove it.

“We need to take her to the hospital, that looks like it’s going to need stitches.” Eliza began. 

“No hospitals.” Maria and Theo said at the same time. Theo continuing. “Her scent is still too off, they’ll ask questions we don’t have the answers to.”

“Then what do you suggest we do about our mate’s open wound?” Eliza asked, a bit testy.

“Well it’s a good thing we have a nursing student on speed dial.” Theo said.

 

***

 

Hercules picked up on the third ring. Theo had tried John’s cell, but it just went to voicemail. 

“Hercules Mulligan.” Hercules said. He must not have looked at his caller ID.

“Herc, it’s Theo.” Theo began. 

“Hey, The! What’s the word?” Hercules asked.

“I'm actually trying to get a hold of John. Eliza and I have a situation that we need someone with medical experience.” Theo didn’t want to say much over the phone. 

“What’s wrong?” Hercules asked, concern instantly evident in his tone.

“It’s sensitive. Could you bring him over? Just him. Alex and Laf might make the situation worse…” Theo hated having to exclude the rest of them, but too many people might frighten Maria. She didn’t know the nature of Him and if either of the men coming over was similar in any way… Maria might even have severe reactions to men in general, there was too much they didn’t know about Maria’s past. Too many variables… “I’d come pick him up myself but I'm needed here and I’d just say let him come on the bus, but our… situation requires stitches.”

“Who’s hurt? It’s not Eliza is it?” Hercules continued to question but Theo could hear him moving on the other side of the phone. Then she heard a door open and through the line he said. “John? John, love, wake up. Sorry to wake you up, but we have a situation. Grab your bag. No, Alex stay here. We hopefully won’t be gone long.”

She heard Alex whine but couldn’t hear his words, but then Hercules was saying with his commanding yet gentle alpha tone. “Then go find Laf, he probably wouldn’t mind you distracting him from whatever project he’s working on.”

Herc turned the conversation back to Theo. “John’s getting dressed, we’ll be there in about five minutes.”

Theo sighed, “Thank you so much, Hercules.”

 

***

 

Maria descended on the chicken soup like she had never seen food before. Despite the towel wrapped around her right hand, she managed to eat every drop and would have asked for more, but the doorbell rang and she jumped at the sound.

“That’s just John and Hercules.” Theo said as she went to answer the door. Eliza stayed with Maria, a soothing hand on the small of her back.

“These are good people, Maria.” Eliza said resting her chin on the other girl’s shoulder. Her position behind Maria meant that Maria was supported on the kitchen stool but also that Maria couldn’t run away.

Two men entered the kitchen with Theo trailing behind them. 

The first man was a tall beta in his early twenties. Golden skin was covered with freckles and his face was sharp, intelligent, and kind. Bright green eyes shone out from under a mop of curly light brown hair. He smiled at her, “Ah, is this the patient? I'm John Laurens, its nice to meet you. Different circumstances would have been preferable, but…”

He placed a medical bag on the counter next to her and opened it before taking her hand and hissing at the piece of the lamp that she had broken still embedded in her palm. “Well, it’s good that you left it where it was, might have done more damage taking it out.”

He got to work, pulling things out of his bag and laying them out so that he could get to work. As he worked, Maria examined the other man.

He was short for an alpha. At least six inches shorter than Theo, who stood next to him with her arms crossed, carefully keeping the frown from her face. The man, he must be Hercules, was stocky, powerful; he had the commanding air of all alphas. He was in his mid thirties and looked like a body builder, he had muscles on top of muscles, which he flexed and shifted as he too crossed his arms over his chest. Dark skin, almost black as night, but calm eyes and a mouth stuck in a smile softened his features. His short curly hair had an intricate design buzzed into the temple on either side of his head.

“What happened and who is this?” He asked.

“This is Maria.” Eliza answered, petting the girl’s side as John swiped her palm with a cleaner, preparing to remove the shard. “She is our new mate.”

John paused and looked up, an evaluating look on his face. “Wow, didn’t know you two had room for another.”

“Neither did we.” Eliza said, now wrapping her arms around Maria’s waist. “But the desert rose can claw out it’s own space, even in the most inhospitable environments.”

A kiss was dropped onto Maria’s cheek and she blushed and looked down. The praise in front of these strangers, especially after she had broken the lamp, was overwhelming. Maria didn’t know if she wanted more to disappear or turn and wrap herself around her Beta.

She gasped as pain flared in her hand. John had taken advantage of her momentary distraction to extract the shard from her palm. Theo let loose a reactionary growl from across the room, Hercules lying a restraining hand on her shoulder.

“I know, he’s helping, Herc.” Theo shot a reproachful look at the other alpha. “I do have some level of control over my base instincts.”

“Just wanted to make sure.” Hercules shrugged, not dropping his hand just yet. “Feelings are a bit elevated in a new bond. I'm assuming this is new, because I thought we were close enough to share big events like this?”

Theo smiled at Hercules. “Of course, this is barely 24 hours old…”

“Ahh…” Hercules responded. 

“I'm going to put some numbing cream on your hand, it is going to need stitches and even with the cream this will hurt a bit.” John spoke to Maria. She nodded and didn’t look him in the eye. “Wish I had more in my bag, but the professors won’t let us take much home with us, yet. Just the basics. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if you had the recourses of a hospital-“

Theo cut him off. “No. We can’t take her to a hospital.”

“Why?” Hercules asked, sharply. The tension in the room built and Maria began to feel herself overheat. Just the sound of Hercules’ displeased voice was stressful. She knew the moment that her suppressor-laced scent began to roll off of her.

Three things happened at once. First, John pulled back from her and covered his nose with a small ‘oh’ of surprise. He looked slightly ashamed of himself and tried to apologize. Second, Eliza’s arms tightened and she began to speak soothingly into Maria’s ear. Correctly guessing that it was Hercules’ tone that set her off. Third, Hercules rounded on Theo and growled, “Suppressants? She’s coming down off of suppressants, isn’t she? That’s why you can’t take her to the hospital. Afraid they’ll report you for Omega abuse, Theo?”

“That’s not it.” Theo held up her hands, trying to calm Hercules but she stood her ground.

“I thought you were a better alpha than that, Theo.” Hercules was stiff.

Maria could see that he was close to fighting her Alpha. She began to shake and her stomach twisted, protesting the tension and being full for the first time in months. She couldn’t let him hurt her Alpha, especially over something that wasn’t Theo’s fault. She tried to get their attention, “It wasn’t her…”

“How could you overdose your omega on suppressants, you know the side effects.” Hercules sounded hurt and angry, and he hadn’t heard Maria.

“It was my husband!” Maria shouted. All eyes were suddenly on her. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and the words just continued to come, the dam broken. She rushed forward off of the stool and grabbed Hercules’ arm with both hands ignoring the flare of pain from her right hand. “He kept me drugged. Wanted me to trigger heats for other girls he brought home so he could sleep with them. Also it kept me docile, too hazy to fight back. But he missed a dose and I cleared enough to escape. I’m sorry; it’s not her fault. It’s mine. Don’t hurt Theo; she’s the best alpha! Don’t hurt her!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwwww… poor Maria!!!!
> 
> Can I say that this is happening in a very different way in my head? Like I write the scenes at work, where I don’t do much with my brain, I work mostly with my hands. Leaves my mind free to wander. And by the time I started writing this chapter, the characters were all “Lol, nah.”
> 
> Like I originally didn’t have Maria cutting her hand open, and had at least another two or three chapters of just Maria/Theo/Eliza before I introduced any other characters. But then Herc smashes in all “I am Hercules Mulligan! Up in it. Lovin it!!!” So I had to let him in. and he dragged the others along for the ride. 
> 
>  
> 
> I do like that it caused Maria to open up though. I was having a hard time with how Mr. Reynolds would come up in conversation, Maria being so instant on not telling anyone about him…
> 
>  
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone…. Sorry for not updating for over a month… I went on a hiatus and have been too stressed to write lately. But things are clearing up on the Homefront. I’ve been dealing with a roommate not paying rent and having to evict her for it… I’ve been so stressed for so long, this started in February and I have like no savings anymore bc she hasn’t been paying rent and I’ve had to borrow money and all this crap. It got real bad… like panic attacks everyday for a couple of weeks bad… so updates aren’t going to be as regular as before, but I’m gonna try.

Hercules and Theo were on the front porch of the house, she had a lit cigarette between her lips and was taking long drags to try and calm herself. Theo was agitated. It wasn’t even about the fact that Maria was married to the asshole that abused her. She felt relieved that it wasn’t blood family that had hurt her mate; now that they were Mate Bonded there were laws they could use to dissolve the marriage. This wasn’t the first time that someone married before finding a soul mate and the government had protections in place. Now they just needed to go through the right channels, follow the correct process. 

She wouldn’t lie; learning that Maria was married was a shock. She didn’t seem old enough to be out of high school, let alone married… 

No what had Theo on edge, had her base instincts fighting her logic was the process of fixing up Maria’s hand.

Theo had tried to stay in the room, but every time John had approached Maria’s hand with the needle she would begin to growl low in her chest. Maria would whimper both at her Alpha’s response and the anticipation of the stitching. Even Hercules’ hands on her shoulders couldn’t keep Theo from trying to stop the beta from inflicting more pain on her Omega. Finally, John had had to ask Theo to leave and Hercules had come with her. 

“You realize you’re kind of up shit’s creek, right?” Hercules asked.

“There’s Wexleburg’s Law, pertaining to the dissolving of a preexisting marriage when a Mate Bond is established, if one or both of the parties wishes to have the marriage dissolved.” Theo began. Her mind was on the legalities of Maria’s situation.

“That’s not what I'm talking about. You told me you found her in a shed during your shift.” Hercules said, she had given him the short version of her last 24 hours. “You could get fired, Theo. I know, I know. You were just protecting your new mate from the hospital system and the holding cells at the precinct. But, you were on duty. You have an obligation to uphold the law, follow procedures. At the very least you are getting suspended without pay.”

“It’s not like we are hurting for money, Herc.” Theo replied, she was a little agitated at the tone this conversation was having, she was an adult alpha who could deal with the repercussions of her own decisions. “I have my inheritance and savings, Eliza’s a damn good lawyer, and this house is paid for thanks to Senator Schuyler.”

The home had been a mating present from the entire Schuyler clan. Phillip and Catherine had not taken no for an answer. Claiming that the place had been a steal, and the investment into their future grandchildren’s home had been worth it. Theo had insisted on paying them back at least half and after months of pressing, Phillip had finally given her the price of the house. Big surprise, the house had not been that much of a steal. But it was paid off. 

It was one of the Queen Anne style homes, built around 1910 and refurbished in the early 2000’s. The house was four stories with a first level garage at the street level. It was thin, almost a row house, with one corner curved into a circular turret shape. The entrance to the house was technically the second floor up a set of impressive brick and granite steps. But because the first floor at the street level was devoted to the garage and storage, they referred to the living level as the first floor. The first floor was home to the living room, kitchen and a guest bedroom; the rounded section currently housed their Christmas tree, but usually served as a sitting area. The second level held their master bedroom and an office each for Theo and Eliza. Catherine, Eliza’s mother, loved to come over and tell the women how nice the two small rooms would be for pups to grow up in. the turret on that floor held a reading nook just off the master bedroom. The final floor held the den, a less formal space for hanging out and relaxing with friends and access to the roof deck. The turret on this floor had no use right now except for storage. Arches adorned the front porch and intricate woodwork graced the rest of the house. Eliza had chosen a deep eggplant color for the bulk of the house, with accents of cream and grey. Theo adored the place.

They sat now on the front porch, Hercules lounging in a rocking chair. His eyes never left the pacing path that Theo was wearing into the stone of the porch.

“You’re almost prowling.” He pointed out. “And you’re not addressing the real problem.”

“Which is?” Theo stopped and dropped into the matching rocking chair across from the one Hercules occupied, thought flashing across her mind that they needed to buy a third. Eliza and Theo liked to have coffee out here in the mornings, their house was across the street from a quaint park and they enjoyed relaxing while they read the morning paper. Maria would probably want to join them. 

“How are you going to find this dickhead and get him to agree to a divorce?” Hercules said hands twisting around the arms of the rocking chair. “I mean, yah there’s the law, but if he decides to fight it? Or if you guys can’t even get Maria to tell you who he is to begin anything? It’s gonna look real bad if he decides to come looking for his wife and you guys haven’t even started the process…”

“I know.” Theo ran her hands through her braids, a fingernail caught on one and she grimaced as it pulled painfully. But it grounded her a bit.

“More than just your career is on the line here, The.” Hercules reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Eliza’s career, her father’s, all of your reputations…”

Theo hunched her shoulders and hung her head. “I know. I just… I wanted to have more time. I don’t want to pressure Maria into having to face this monster too soon… She doesn’t need that. And she’s still got the drugs in her…”

“If you’re waiting for her to be completely clean, Theo, that could take weeks…” Hercules squeezed her shoulder and she groaned in response, he was right. “It might be easier for all of you to do this like pulling off a band aid. Just get it over with. Then at least you can enjoy your new relationship.”

Before Theo could respond, John was opening the front door, medical bag in his hands. The two alphas stood when he came out and Hercules offered his chair to his mate. John just shook his head and leaned against the railing. He looked exhausted and Theo remembered that he had been sleeping when she called. That plus the constant growling she had subjected him to when she was still in the kitchen and the whimpering for an omega in pain, not even his omega, was sure to have wiped him out. She felt a little ashamed for dragging the young man out of bed… he wasn’t even speaking in full sentences, “Not the prettiest work that’s ever been done, but it’ll do. Gonna leave a nasty scar, but at least it missed any tendons. May have hit a nerve though, Maria might not be able to work much with that pinky… Sorry, Theo…”

“You have nothing to apologize for, John. I'm so grateful that you came out here in the middle of the night like this. Thank you so much.” Theo pulled the young man into a hug, hoping that she conveyed how thankful she really was. John wrapped one arm around her in return, the other holding the bag at his side.

When they pulled apart, Theo could see the bags under his eyes. John turned to Hercules and said, “Take me home, Alpha. I still have two finals I need to study for…”

“Not tonight, you don’t.” Hercules grabbed the bag from his mate and looped an arm around the other man’s waist pulling him down the stairs and to the car on the street. “Tonight you are resting and I'm gonna have Laf make you his special breakfast, you’ve earned it, little Beta.”

Hercules continued to talk as he settled John into the car, promising a great many things for his ‘good, good boy.’ Theo smiled, watching how Hercules babied his mate. He turned before getting into his car and waved to Theo. “Think about what we discussed. I’ll bring Alex over if you need him to talk the information out of her.”

Theo rolled her eyes, an interrogation from Alex was probably the last thing Maria needed right now, but the boy could get anyone to talk just to get him to stop talking. She waved back at Hercules as he settled into the car and drove back down the street. 

 

***

 

In the kitchen, Eliza was preparing another bowl of soup for Maria when Theo walked in. She smiled sadly at her mate and they shared a look. Maria was huddled on the stool, wrapped in a blanket that made her look even smaller than she was. When Theo came in, her arms snaked out of the cocoon and she whimpered, “Alpha!”

“Brave little girl.” Theo said, pulling the bundle, Maria and all, off of the kitchen stool and crossing the few steps to the built in kitchen table set in a bay window. This new position meant that Maria could eat and have both of her mates close to her. “What happened?”

“She threw up…” Eliza said softly as she brought three bowls of soup to the table and snuggled in on Maria’s other side. 

Theo coo’ed soothingly and examined the bandage on Maria’s hand. 

“John did a good job.” Maria whispered. “I was bad.”

“Why would you say that, Dearest?” Eliza asked. “I was here the whole time and all I saw was a very brave girl letting someone fix her hand.”

“But I threw up,” Maria said. “And I made John upset with my whining…”

“John is going to school to learn how to do exactly what he did tonight, if he can’t handle a distressed omega, then he’s not going to be a good doctor.” Theo said firmly. “And from what I saw, he’s going to be a great doctor one day. I'm the one who should be ashamed.”

Maria looked up, frowning in confusion.

“I was upsetting both you and John while he was trying to work, Love.” Theo said. 

“Just protecting me.” Maria shook her head. She began eating the soup, humming in pleasure at the taste. “My Beta is a good cook.”

“Thank you Maria.” Eliza responded.

Theo made her decision. She needed to get the situation under control at least from a legal standpoint to even have the possibility of keeping her job and keeping her mate and the rest of the Schuylers safe from the political fallout. And Maria had given her the best opening she could hope for, “Speaking of protecting you, Your Eminence, we have some things that need to be taken care of if all of us are going to be safe.”

“We need to keep Him away.” Maria nodded. She stiffened but her face showed determination. 

“If you give us his name, we can make it so that he can’t come near you again.” Theo said. Confusion flashed in Maria’s eyes but Theo continued, “We can get a restraining order and then start the process to get your marriage dissolved.”

Maria still was not comprehending, Theo could see that. Eliza stepped in. “There is a law, Dearest, that says that you can get a divorce if you find your soul mate. It’s called the Mate Bond Code or Wexleburg’s Law. It protects everyone involved when a Mate Bond is established with one or more parties in a preexisting marriage.”

Maria looked between the two women, a look of wonder on her face. “I could be free of Him?”

“It might take longer if he decides to fight it, but eventually, yes.” Eliza said.

“Mate Bonding is real,” A shiver ran through the little omega. She stared into the distance, hope on her face, “It’s protected by law, and I could be free of Him…”

“All we need to know is his name and address and I could start by filing for a judge to review the evidence tomorrow.” Eliza said with a little nod to her head.

“And I could go apply for a restraining order tomorrow.” Theo said, not mentioning that it was her day off but might as well get the reprimand over with.

“I could be free.” Maria smiled, pure and bright. Her smile hardened a bit as she squared her shoulders and looked between her new mates. “His name is James Reynolds.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum bum baaaaaaaa!!! This entire story is just coming out however it wants to. I'm just the fingers on the keyboard for this guys. I mean, for Fight Like You’re Running Out Of Time, I had entire scenes planned out that played exactly the way I had them planned. Only a few scenes came out drastically different than what I had planned… So far for this one, I start out a chapter sort of planned and then it just goes off on it’s own tangent as I write it. 
> 
> Like Wexelburg’s Law? Not in my planning phase. I also had Maria hiding her marriage more and then refusing to tell everyone who her husband was. But I think this is more Maria beginning to heal and take her life into her own hands. Something she can do with the awesome pair of mates that she has. 
> 
>  
> 
> I like the pacing on this story. But can you believe it’s only been about 24+ hours in actual timeline?
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so some real shit happened on my vacation people… One, I got a bunch of chapters written in both of my stories. Two, I almost died at Disneyland and California Adventure (if you go for three days, don’t make them in a row, space that shit out friends. For your health and my piece of mind. There is too much to do and see at those parks and I went non stop…) 
> 
> But the real shit that happened, was that as soon as I got there, my friend who was supposed to go to the parks with me and I was going to have as a ‘safety blanket’ because I’m an ambivert who doesn’t do new people coupled with new situations all that well. Like if I was able to be in a place that I knew, I’d be able to deal with new people. Or if I have people I know, I can do new situations. 
> 
> But the second we got to the hotel, my ‘friend’ (who is not a friend anymore) throws a fit about the room and not getting food… and we are trying to fix the biggest problem first, which is the room, which got fixed. But then she freaks out about the food so I go out and get food for her. Walking the streets of a city that I don’t know…. And when I get back it turns out that she’s been screaming at the housekeepers and the manager of the hotel wants to throw us out of the hotel… So long story short, she got thrown out of the hotel and I was stuck all the way across the country with a guy that I don’t know in a hotel room that I couldn’t pay for….
> 
> But as long as I get a roommate for next month I may be able to pay my bills. Fingers crossed.

First thing in the morning, Eliza left for work. She called ahead for some of the legal aides at her firm to begin preparing the paperwork they would need for Maria’s case. She would need to pass the case on to someone else in the firm because she was too close to the situation, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t begin the process herself.

 

“Sooooo…” Alex bounced into her office about two minutes after she arrived, stacks of files and books in his arms and a look on his face like the cat that ate the canary. “I heard that you and Theo got yourselves a new mate yesterday.”

He was fishing for more information. John had assured her before he left that as much of the situation would be kept from his and Hercules’ other mates as possible, until the trio had time to process and felt comfortable giving out the information themselves. Lafayette and Alex were insufferable gossips. 

“Her name is Maria, she’s an omega and she’s married.” Eliza said, knowing he would keep pestering her until he got at least a little of what he wanted. “That’s all you’re going to get until my mates and I have sorted everything out, Alexander.”

“Well that answers the question about why you wanted all these Wexleburg’s cases.” Alex dropped them on her desk with a thump. “I took the liberty of pulling up the paperwork to begin hearings and contacting Judge Washington and setting a meeting with him for this Friday.”

“Thank you, Alex.” She smiled fondly at the young legal aid. Alex was still in school to become a lawyer and had been interning with Adams, Jefferson and Schuyler for the past two years. 

Angelica appeared in the doorway soon after Eliza and Alex had settled into reviewing the legal precedence and frowned at her sister. She stalked in, authoritatively. As the youngest partner in the firm, she still felt like she needed to assert herself. The alpha had started at the firm around the same time Alex had become the firm’s intern and had clawed her way to a partnership alongside Adams and Jefferson in just two years. Eliza had followed her sister to one of the best firms on the West coast a few months ago after finishing her schooling. The two still had a little bit of ironing out to do on their work relationship, especially as boss and employee.

“Alex, I need to talk to my sister.” Angelica dismissed the intern. Alex grabbed a few files and winked at Eliza as he retreated from the office. “When were you going to tell me and the rest of our family that you have another mate?”

“Umm… As soon as I sorted out the legalities.” Eliza said, tossing one of the books to her sister. Angelica’s eyebrows rose as she took in the title of the case. “She’s not only married, but she’s been abused. I needed to get to work as fast as possible to get her out from under the monster she’s married to.”

“Abused?” Angelica asked, her features softening. “Not like…”

“Maybe exactly like me and King.” Eliza said brusquely. She didn’t let herself waver though as she continued to describe the situation to her sister. “There’s definitely physical abuse, intentional overdosing of heat suppressants and possibly other drug abuse, probably mental abuse too. I needed to get the process started before he comes looking for her.”

“We need to get a restraining order.” Angelica observed, automatically jumping in to join the fight. 

“Theo’s on it.” Eliza said, not looking up from her files. “She’s going in today to file for it. As Maria’s alpha she can do it on her behalf.”

“So her name’s Maria?” Angelica asked. Eliza nodded and Angelica asked another question, “Isn’t Theo off today?”

Eliza nodded again. “She needs to go in to explain herself. She met Maria on duty. She was supposed to take Maria in when they Bonded.”

Angelica hissed in sympathy, she came around the desk and pulled her sister into a hug. “How are you dealing with this? I know you feel like you have an obligation to protect this girl, with your past and Theo Bonding with her… But that doesn’t mean you just have to accept this?”

Eliza smiled and hugged her sister back. “I won’t lie, I was a bit upset when I felt the Bond shift yesterday, but once I came home and met her? Angie, she’s so tiny and she needs our protection so much… And we all know that I probably won’t be able to give Theo the family she deserves…”

“Don’t you start feeling sorry for yourself!” Angelica admonished. “You are no more responsible for what happened to you than Maria is for what happened to her. As long as you’re fine with everything, I'm ready to take the case over.”

Eliza smiled and squeezed her sister tighter. “Well I was going to ask Jefferson to take the case…”

“The Hell you were!” Angelica laughed and turned to pull more files off of the bookshelves that lined the walls of Eliza’s office. They were a particularly small firm, given how prestigious their reputation was, so even a fairly new junior lawyer was able to have her own office. Angelica sighed and called out, “Hamilton, I know you’re out there listening.”

“I really wasn’t,” Alex said as he turned the corner. It was bold-faced lie.

“I want you to take all of these files down to my office, I’m taking this case. We need to finish filling out the paperwork and get down to Washington’s office this afternoon so we can serve this…”

“James Reynolds.” Eliza supplied, jotting down his name and address on a piece of paper and passing it to her sister.

“This Mr. Reynolds with a restraining order and a summons to appear at a preliminary hearing.” Angelica finished.

“I already have a hearing meeting set for Friday.” Alex supplied. 

“Good, you know I hate to waste time.” Angelica grabbed some of the files and breezed out of Eliza’s office. 

“We’ll get this guy for your Maria.” Alex said as he pulled the rest of the files off of Eliza’s desk and followed Angelica out.

 

***

 

Theo sat in front of her Police Chief nervously; Mercer was a good man, a good alpha and a damn good police chief. She sincerely hoped he would be lenient on her. 

The man looked impassively across his desk and sighed. “You realize how much trouble you’re in?”

“I do, sir.” Theo began. “But in my position, would you have done any differently?”

Mercer sighed. “I'm going to choose to ignore that, Sergeant Prevost.”

“Thank you, sir.” Theo wanted to hang her head, or at least yell at him to make a decision…

“And now you want me to rush an application for a restraining order? Do you have any idea how much paperwork I already have to fill out now?” He leaned forward and held up a hand to stall her. “Don’t answer that, you probably know down to how many lines I need to fill out… You’re a good officer, Prevost. I know there are some things you can’t control, but what you can control, you handled badly. That’s going to reflect on the police department. You know I have to suspend you, right?”

Theo finally did let her head duck a bit. She reached for her gun and badge. “How long, sir?”

“At least a month, or until Internal Affairs can get their chance to pick though the evidence.” Mercer kneaded his temples and sighed again. “I’ll give you paid administrative leave until you fill out your report, but that’s the best I can do.”

Theo nodded and felt the dismissal in the Chief’s mood. “Um, sir? The restraining order?”

“You’re really going to push that?” Mercer looked up at Theo.

“It’s important, the omega, my mate was physically abused by her husband…” Theo began.

“I don’t want to hear anything about it.” Mercer held up a hand, but scribbled his signature at the bottom of a blank order. “You know how to fill the rest of it out, dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.” Theo left feeling empty without her badge and gun, but happy that she wasn’t fired yet and that she had gotten what she needed. 

 

***

 

Maria was alone in the house. All by herself, the house felt like an echoing cave, empty and slightly dangerous. She knew both of her mates had to leave, Eliza had work and Theo needed to report to the police department. Had to go and get in trouble over Maria…

In all fairness, Theo had probably left with the intention of returning before Maria woke up, but it was just her luck that she was awake, shaking and trying to ride out a wave of the suppressor induced heat less than a half hour after the house was emptied…

She made it into the bathroom before what was left of the soup in her stomach came back up and sat huddled around the toilet for countless minutes. To be honest, the cold of the tile floor and ceramic bowl was soothing as it seeped into her muscles. She shivered from the cold air on her skin and shook from the reaction to the drugs. But it was at least getting bearable…

When the wave had passed she took a look at herself in the mirror of the bathroom and grimaced. She was covered in dark purple bruises; her eyes were sunken into their sockets and her face looked gaunt. She remembered how she had looked back in high school, when James was kind and they were happy.

She had always been small, but back then there was a bit of muscle beneath her copper tan skin. He dark raven hair was curly, large ringlets fell to her waist when her hair was dry and in some kind of order. Now it was tangled and matted, despite Theo’s best efforts to comb it out last night. She mourned the fact that they may have to cut it to get some of the mats out… But it had been months since Maria had the presence of mind to find a brush and attend to her locks. Her eyes and face showed the biggest change. She was too skinny, even for her standards, cheekbones poking out of her face; her nose looked like a slash down the middle of her head and her eyes two pits on either side. Before she had had beautiful high cheekbones, full lips and lively eyes that were deep pools of molten chocolate. Before she had had cheeks that always had a slight natural blush that was now gone, lost in the chalky tone her skin had taken. Before He married her, moved her away from her family and across the country, and started using her as a way to get out his aggression. 

It had started out small, a smack when she didn’t move fast enough to please him or a hit when she ‘talked back.’ The suppressors didn’t come until after her miscarriage. He pushed her down and she fell wrong, the baby was too small to survive… Too small for her to even have a name yet. Her doctor had suggested Heat Suppressors to keep her from going into heat until she healed. But to heal also meant that James could not touch her until then either. 

It only took a month before James was tired of waiting. He began sleeping around, sometimes even paying women to sleep with him. Maria pretended she didn’t know, didn’t want him to leave her on the opposite side of the country from where she grew up, alone. 

James was one of the alphas who believed that omegas couldn’t control their suppressors. He insisted on giving the doses to Maria himself. The first time he messed up the dose had been an accident. The second time, much less so. 

Almost a year and a half later he messed up on the dosage again, this time forgetting to give one to her. She was groggy and couldn’t walk straight, but she could recognize the need to get out of that house. She pulled on the first thing she found laying on the ground. A red dress left there by some poor woman who had gone into heat at the smell of Maria’s heat and had run at her first chance, leaving the dress behind. 

She stumbled through the streets for a few days, the cold combatting her temperature spikes. Must have been winter or fall at least. No one was spending time outside because of the cold. No one was around to see Maria stagger out of the bad part of town. 

The unlocked shed had been a blessing. Someplace to rest for a few hours before she moved on. She just needed to last a few more days until she cleared enough to get herself to an Omega’s Shelter. Just needed a little more time.

But her time had been up. A woman’s screech woke her from her sleep; she screamed that she was calling the cops. Maria had tried to get up, to leave before the cops came. Unfortunately, that was when a particularly hard wave hit and she couldn’t move even though she wanted to.

Now Maria thanked her lucky stars for the screeching woman, her little shed, and the call that had brought Theodosia to her. 

Her amazing, loving, beautiful Alpha. And Eliza, her Beta. Her calm, understanding, caring Beta. Who could have rejected her, shown her disdain when Theo brought her home. Who had instead, wrapped her in her arms and whispered soothing words to her as John fixed her hand… How could she feel this much in such a short amount of time?

Mate Bonding was real, she couldn’t believe that she had let James tell her any different. And now her mates were working to legally get her away from James forever.

She decided that a shower would make her feel more like herself. The warm water soothed her aching muscles and she scrubbed over her tender skin covered in bruises. She didn’t use shampoo or conditioner, didn’t know if she was allowed to. But a small bar of soap was in the corner of the shower and she used that to get as clean as possible. 

The clothes she was wearing were covered in sweat, blood and other filth and she really didn’t want to put them back on, but she had nothing else… She decided to just wrap herself in a towel to wait for Theo to get home. Theo would give her something to wear, hopefully wouldn’t be too angry that she had taken a shower without permission. 

Her stomach rumbled… She wandered into the kitchen. They had brought her in here last night, this must be one of the places she was allowed to be? She remembered the soup, her stomach rumbled again. She was wondering if it would be all right if she heated up a bowl of soup when the front door opened.

She turned and smiled, Theo must be home! But the voices that drifted from the front of the house were male and she went into an instant panic. He found her! She had to run, to hide!!!

“Theo? Are you here? Maria?” the voice was deeper than James’… It was familiar, but not quite… “It’s Hercules, we met last night. Do you remember me?”

Hercules. The short alpha that had come with John to bandage her hand. He was good people according to her Beta.

“Is she here?” An unfamiliar voice said, it was strange. Whoever it was had a very strange accent.  Then a very tall beta man with a poof of curly hair pulled back into a ponytail waltzed into the kitchen. She squeaked and ran to hide behind the kitchen island. “Mon amour, I believe I have found her. You are Maria, non?”

The man had followed her path around the island and was somewhat chasing her as she retreated, trying to reach the safety of the guest room. She continued backing up until she ran into a solid wall of muscle and began to tip over. 

“Whoah, there!” Hercules caught her and steadied her. She stiffened and her eyes shifted between the two men. “How are you feeling today?”

She couldn’t respond to the question. Why were they here? Who was the other man…

“We came to bring you and Theo some breakfast, is she here?” Hercules had a bag of muffins in one hand another bag filled with something in his other hand. 

She shook her head, eyes wide with fear. Still shifting between the two men. 

“We have also brought you some spare clothing, ma petite.” The beta said, pulling a sweater out of the bag that Hercules carried and looking down at her towel clad body. She blushed when she remembered that she had only a towel between the air and her skin.

“Why don’t you go try some of this on and Laf and I will make brunch?” the question was more of a command and Maria found herself obeying, even though he was not her alpha. 

The clothing was too big and a bit worn, but it was sturdy and warm. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants that she could pull the drawstring tight on and the sweater that the beta had pulled out for her. She returned to the kitchen to find the taller man busy at the stove preparing eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns and-

“Oh, I love grits!” she smiled at the small pot of white grits cooking on the stove.

“You are not the only one, ma petite. Hercules cannot go a breakfast without them. Most of the rest of us cannot stand them. But I did not introduce myself, I apologize.” The tall beta grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “I am Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette.”

“Say that five times fast.” Hercules laughed.

She was unnerved by the other man’s attentions and pulled her hand away too fast, smacking him in the nose in her haste to have her hand free. She instantly panicked. “Oh my Lupa! I'm so sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you. I'm so sorry. Please-“

He brought his hand up and Maria flinched, expecting it to come down on her face. Instead he rubbed his nose with a baffled expression as Hercules almost fell off of the kitchen stool laughing. “It’s what you get for startling her, Gilbert!”

The beta simply continued to rub his nose and went back to the stove.

“You have to excuse him,” Hercules said, he pulled a stool out for her and she took it still upset over hitting the other man. “He has too many names and likes to startle people with them. You can call him Lafayette or Gilbert but most call him Laf. He’s usually nice, but you may have offended his French sense of propriety.”

Laf muttered something in French that didn’t sound too friendly.

“Do you know French?” Hercules asked, she shook her head, “Too bad, Alex knows French, so do Eliza and Theo, John’s been learning…”

“And you have been mated to me for over ten years and you have not learned a thing.” Lafayette stuck his nose in the air. 

“I’ve learned enough.” Hercules lifted an eyebrow and wiggled it. He practically purred, “N'arrêtez pas, Plus fort, Plus profound, Baise-moi…”

“Could you not!” Lafayette huffed and stirred the eggs a little more roughly than necessary. 

Hercules laughed, loud and booming. Maria found herself echoing the laugh; hers was small and felt rusty though. 

The front door opened again and Lafayette called out, “We are in the kitchen!”

“Who’s ‘we’?” Theo’s voice called back into the house.

“Hercules and myself and your charming new mate, mon ami.” Lafayette called. 

“You couldn’t wait 24 hours?” Theo came into the kitchen and came straight to Maria. “Sorry I wasn’t here to shield you from these jackals, my empress.”

Maria wrapped her arms around Theo and laughed a bit. “They are a bit much.”

“Excuse you!” Lafayette said in mock shock. “I am a snow leopard, thank you very much! And mon amour is a bear!”

“They did bring muffins and some clothes for me, though.” Maria said, nuzzling into Theo’s neck. She nibbled a bit on her Alpha’s skin.

Theo rumbled in her chest, Maria wasn’t sure if it was a sound of pleasure or anger… she pulled back.

“Don’t worry, love.” Theo smoothed her hair out of her face.

“How did it go?” Hercules asked. Lafayette had begun to ferry plates over to the kitchen table and Hercules helped.

“Exactly the way you thought it would.” Theo didn’t relinquish contact with Maria, simply pulled her along to the table and sat next to her. She began to pile Maria’s plate with food, skipping the grits with a grimace. Hercules grabbed the grits and dropped a big dollop on Maria’s plate. Theo raised an eyebrow.

“She likes ‘em. Your mate has good taste.” Hercules said in explanation. “So what exactly happened?”

Theo shrugged and continued. “I got suspended. Chief allowed me to fill my report out on administrative leave, but the second I left the building I'm no longer a cop. At least until the investigation is over.”

Maria looked down into her lap and mumbled, “I'm sorry…”

Theo took her hand and squeezed. “I’d do everything exactly the same, love. Don’t you even think that any of this is your fault.”

Maria wasn’t so sure, but she let her Alpha continue. “Eliza is taking care of everything she can from her end and hopefully by tomorrow we will have a restraining order for Reynolds.”

Lafayette buttered some toast and hummed, “I had noticed that your little one was injured.”

“I did that last night.” Maria said and waved the bandaged hand.

“That was not what I was referencing.” Lafayette said. “Your bruises are quite impressive.”

“Oh, those.” Maria deflated and Theo placed a comforting arm over her shoulders. 

“We are dealing with that.” Theo growled.

“If you need any, ah, assistance retrieving personal belongings, petite, you need only ask. I happen to have a very intimidating alpha, a beta that knows how to fight quite well and a scrappy omega that enjoys fighting as much as he enjoys talking. They are just lying around waiting to come to the rescue of such an entrancing princesse. We will be your chevaliers en brilliant armure.” Lafayette took Maria’s hand from across the table and went to place another kiss on her knuckles.

“You sure you want to do that, Laf?” Hercules said with a wink. “Last time you tried to kiss her, she punched you in the nose.”

Theo almost spit out her coffee. “You did what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N'arrêtez pas- Don’t stop  
> Plus fort- harder  
> Plus profound- deeper  
> Baise-moi- fuck me  
> Princesse- princess  
> chevaliers en brilliant armure- knights in shining armor. 
> 
> Ok. So I’m gonna try to post more regularly. One post a week, but I will be switching off with my other story each week. If things settle down and I get that roommate, I may go back to two posts a week, one for each story. But when I worry about money, I don’t post that much. 
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’m a few days late… I was going to try and post on Wednesdays… I’m a horrible person…. But I’ve been dealing with a whole ton of shit…
> 
> On Wednesday, the “friend” who I had a falling out with over my vacation and threatened to sue me over fucking clothes hacked my Facebook account and changed the names of all of my accounts to something to do with being a victim… because she said that I always play the victim card and I was painting her as a villain so she was happy to play the part. She also reported my page names and Facebook blocked me from changing my names back. 
> 
> So on top of all the stress she put me though on my vacation, I’m now being bullied online…. My fuckng life, right? 
> 
> I had this chapter ready, but I’ve really lost my motivation to do shit. I’m so stressed out I’ve circled around to calm/indifferent. So just be prepared to wait for updates, I’ve gotta take care of myself mentally, get in the right place to post chapters because I know I've really only got good comments and stuff but there is always the possibility that someone could hate it enough to tell me that they hate it and that's not something I can deal with right now...

It had taken an extra day for them to get into the same room as a judge, not Washington unfortunately. But once Angelica had the man in front of her, she laid out the evidence so well that the notoriously stiff minor judge was compelled to issue the restraining order and subpoena. 

Alex stood out front of Reynolds’s Auto Body Shop, legal documents in hand and a feral grin on his face.

“Do you have to make that face?” John asked his mate. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders getting ready for a fight if he needed to.

“I wanna see who this asshole is.” Alex said. He still had yet to meet Maria, but all of his mates had described her injuries to him and he had a special hatred for anyone who forced omegas to abuse Heat Suppressors. “Just so that one day, if I meet him at a bar or on the street at night I can beat the shit out of him.”

“You can’t do anything to him right now, Alex.” John warned his mate. “If you do, you could get the case dismissed and Maria will still be stuck with him on a technicality.”

“I know. I just want to see him for the future.” Alex stepped off the curb and crossed the street with his short, rushed strides. “You didn’t need to come with me. I won’t fuck this up.”

“It’s not your behavior I'm worried about,” John said. “I’ve seen what he can do to omegas, I sure as hell wasn’t going to let you get within fifty feet of him without one of us with you.”

“I'm not some damsel in distress…” Alex huffed. 

“You aren’t.” John nodded and looked down at his mate, stopping them and putting his hands on Alex’s arms. “But I don’t think Maria was either. And I don’t want to risk you, Alex.”

“John…” Alex whined. John simply squeezed Alex’s arms and rubbed them before releasing them and continuing to the auto body shop.

The place was dirty, disorganized and disgusting. It looked like a chop shop to be honest. Alex would never even think of bringing his car to a place like this. ‘Probably tell me the car is worthless, and give me a quarter of its worth so he could chop it to parts and sell them… Not that I have a car…’

A man came out from underneath a POS hoopdy and scratched his crotch as he stood. He hawked a loogie, straightened his stained wife-beater and grunted at them in greeting. He looked to be in his thirties, but if he was Reynolds he had to only be 22 at the most. He had the beginnings of a beer gut, a sickly yellow tinge to his skin and a five-o-clock shadow. Scraggly blonde hair topped his head and his face… his face was mean and stupid. Dull blue eyes, thick brows, a huge nose, and a square jaw. Just your regular good ole southern motherfucking racist asshole. An opinion that was confirmed when he spoke with a distinct southern accent, Georgia or South Carolina at least. “Eh, waddeu want?”

“Are you Mr. James Reynolds?” Alex Asked.

“Yah? What cha want, boy?” the other man said, condescendingly even though Alex was only a few years his junior.

Alex stared for a few seconds, committing every wrinkle and stain and scar to memory. He wanted to make sure that the second he saw this face again, he would remember. He promised himself and Maria that he would absolutely decimate the man the next time he saw him. After the case was closed, of course.

Alex handed the paperwork to Reynolds with his most dazzling fake smile. He ramped up his cute innocent omega factor to 12 and the other man reached out to take the paperwork without thinking. The dazed alpha stood for a few seconds just staring at Alex, his mouth agape. Alex thought he looked more like an ape at this moment than a human. He hummed and then turned to leave, throwing over his shoulder, “You’ve been served, Mr. Reynolds!”

He and John were out of the shop in a flash. They were almost back across the street to John’s car when the irate man stormed out of the building.

“What the fuck is this?” he yelled at their backs. 

John was an iron rail at Alex’s side. For a second Alex was amazed the other young man was able to move, for how stiff he was. Reynolds continued following them and John let out a growl at the other man, a warning of violence. Even though the other man was an alpha to John’s beta, Reynolds paused. John was tall for a beta, almost as tall as Reynolds who was short, and he worked out religiously. All of his muscles were built specifically for fighting and defending his pack; they were battle tested and most others could tell. 

Both young men continued walking, John turning his head to the side to keep Reynolds in his line of sight. Alex turned around and bounced backward on the balls of his feet. “That is legal paperwork, Mr. Reynolds. I would suggest getting a lawyer to help you read through it. Your soon to be ex-wife already has legal representation. Good day, sir!” 

John walked around to the passenger’s side to settle his mate into the car before rounding the car and getting in the driver’s seat. Alex watched Reynolds intently as John walked to the other side of the car just in case Reynolds decided to add another count of assault to the charges he would be facing. Alex saw him mouth ‘ex-wife’ as John turned on the car and pulled away. He threw the papers to the ground and stomped on them as they drove away.

“That was fun,” Alex smiled at his mate and grabbed one of his hands. “Let’s go find a bar where I can find someone that I can punch.”

John simply laughed and squeezed Alex’s hand.

 

***

 

It had taken a few more washings and a lot of conditioner and tlc from both Theo and Maria, but Maria’s hair was finally mat free. She sighed at the three inches they were forced to cut off because the hair was too damaged and uneven from breakage. However Maria reveled in the feeling of her soft curls trailing down her back. 

The first full day, Theo had taken her on a tour of the house. Explaining that no matter what time of day or who was or wasn’t in the house with her, Maria had full run of the house. Maria was amazed. The house was beautiful, a fact she made sure to tell Theo, who had told her that it was all Eliza’s doing. At dinner that night Maria complemented Eliza on the house and enjoyed the flush of happiness that graced the beta’s cheeks. 

They spent the next two days riding out waves of shakes and getting to know each other. Theo was local; she had always lived on the west coast. Her family was small, her parents had died young and she had been raised with a cousin named Aaron Burr, by their grandparents. Aaron was in school to become a lawyer.

“I grew up in Georgia.” Maria said.

“My little Georgia Peach!” Theo exclaimed happily. She was braiding Maria’s hair as they watched some movie that was on Lifetime. 

“Momma and Poppa live in a little town almost to Florida on the coast. I technically graduated high school, but I didn’t walk to get my diploma. James got the job over here and he wanted to get married and move here as soon as possible. So as soon as we knew I’d be graduating we eloped.” It was easy to talk about the past to Theo; she made Maria feel so safe. And no matter what she said, Theo never made her feel like she had said something wrong. She tilted her head back so that she could see Theo. “Did you always want to be a cop?”

“Since I was nine.” Theo nodded. “I got lost at a fair and I couldn’t find anyone in my family. The woman who helped me find my grandma was an off duty police officer and she told me cool stories about being a cop the whole time we were looking for my family.”

“That sounds nice.” Maria hummed.

“It’s a good memory.” Theo nodded and sobered a bit as she continued, “But it was really cemented when my parents were killed. Shooting at a charity event for Omega Rights. I was 11, it was a school night and I wasn’t allowed to go. The same officer was the one to come and break the news to my grandparents.”

“Theo, I’m so sorry.” Maria turned and hugged Theo; she ended up straddling Theo’s lap and she pulled back from the hug and held one side of Theo’s face in her uninjured hand, looking down into her mate’s eyes and trying to convey her sympathy. “I can’t imagine how it must feel to loose your parents so young.”

“I lived.” Theo shrugged. She reached up to boop Maria’s nose and the girl chuckled. 

They looked at each other for a few moments, Maria became acutely aware of her position. Her right hand was on Theo’s chest, above her heart and she could feel the beat quicken as their playful mood changed to something more charged. Her other hand had not let go of Theo’s face; Theo’s own hands had settled on her hips and the points of her fingertips burned holes through Maria. Maria felt her breath quicken and she slowly leaned down to match her lips to Theo’s. She was hesitant at first but when her mate did not immediately push her away, Maria deepened the kiss. Theo’s hands ran up and down her sides and her hips thrust up against Maria’s. 

Maria gasped at the sensation, breaking the kiss and apparently the spell Theo was under. Because the next moment, Theo’s hands turned hard, stilling Maria’s movements and sweetly but firmly placing her on the couch next to Theo.

“What’s wrong, Alpha? Do you not want me?” Maria whimpered, a shock of fear running through her. 

Had she displeased her mate? She was getting better about not flinching when she thought she had done something wrong… Theo had yet to even raise her voice towards either of her mates, and Maria had paid close attention to how the other woman treated Eliza. Much of the soft and cherished way that Theo treated Maria could be explained away in the emotions of a new Bond. The rest could be the alpha protecting her sick omega. But Theo watched Eliza move around the house the same way she followed Maria’s path at times. Proud of her mates and content that their pack was complete. She spoke to Eliza the same way that she spoke to Maria. Of course that was starting to change as Maria and Theo formed their own separate relationship, the nicknames and the tone shifting to represent their own feelings toward each other. However, Maria thought that she occupied the same amount of space in the alpha’s heart as their other mate…

Did Theo only want a platonic bond? Maria had done a lot of research into Mate Bonding in the past few days and had learned, among other things, that some Bonded mates choose to keep their mating non-sexual. But she had seriously thought that Theo was attracted to her… If the possessive and reverent way that she sometimes caught the other woman looking at her was any indication. They had been sharing heated looks and brushes of hands on skin for the last three days. And honestly, Maria was getting frustrated with her mate for not taking her when Theo opened her mouth and started talking. 

“Of course I want you.” Theo huffed and backed away, almost off of the couch. She ran her hands through her braids and jiggled her leg a bit, trying to dispel the excess energy. “Lupa, do I want to be with you. But I don’t want to risk our relationship by pushing you into anything that you don’t want to do or are too afraid to tell me ‘no.’ Or while you are still dealing with the suppressors. I want us to be a real Pack; you, me, Eliza, and any pups that might come along… and we won’t be able to have that if I mess it up by pushing too hard, too fast. I want you to want me and Eliza freely.”

“I do, Alpha.” Maria began but Theo just continued talking with an acknowledging nod.

“I think you might. But I don’t want to do anything until you recover from the suppressors.” Theo took one of Maria’s hands in both of hers. “I want you, but I want all of you. Completely, without the slightest hint of the Suppressor Haze. And I want you to feel safe and secure here in our home. I don’t want you to feel like this is something you owe me ore Eliza for helping you. This is your home as much as it’s mine or Eliza’s. I already love you so much that sometimes I go crazy over it. And honestly, this is all new to me. Eliza and I didn’t have the instant rush of a bond that you and I experienced. It took years of knowing each other to grow. And even after we Bonded, we didn’t feel this level of… feelings right away. I want to take the time we all need to get to know each other before we jump into anything we might regret. Is that ok, Omega?”

Maria smiled at her Alpha. The respect she felt from the other woman was bubbling warmth up through her chest. How in the world was there such a beautiful, respectful, powerful and kind alpha out there? How had she lucked out and been able to find her? When Maria thought about how she could have stayed in Georgia, how she could have finished high school, maybe gone to college, met another man and started having his pups all while thinking that this was all there would be to the world, she teared up. It was almost enough to be grateful to James Reynolds. Almost.

She took the hands wrapped around hers and kissed the knuckles of one of them,  “Of course, My Sunlight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was so sweet I got a cavity. I love Alex so much and I’m excited to start working on the relationship in his pack. Its not as smooth as Theo, Eliza and Maria, so just a heads up. 
> 
> I really like reading your comments and love seeing more kudos and watching the hit count go up on my stories! Feed the beast!
> 
> I have to apologize to CelticMuse34, I forgot to credit all the help she gave me in a few chapters. Help in the form of an entirely one-sided conversation where I tell her a problem I’m having and go on to solve my own problem and all she does is say ‘sounds great’ but its a lot of help all the same. 
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I’m out of my rut, ladies and gents. I’ve been working hard and have built up a few chapters ahead. So I’m comfortable announcing that I will be going back to posting twice a week. One chapter of this work and one of CMJL series. 
> 
> If anyone is interested in an update on the active dumpster fire that is my life, I’m actually acclimating to the stress. My family is just a huge source of stress for me whether they are yelling at me, or other people around me, or not. And they visited for my brother’s birthday. We went to the Hoop-Di-Doo Musical Review for his birthday. If you have a chance to when you visit Disney World, do it! Its amazing. Its a little pricy, but its an all you can eat dinner show. Way worth it!
> 
> But yesterday I had to drop over $300 bucks on a new tire, bc I had a blowout on my way home from work. Also included in that price was a new carpet shampooer, bc my mom’s dogs are not house trained… So I had to clean my carpets after they left before my roommate came back from her weekend trip.
> 
> Also, I have a new roommate. She’s at least better than the last one, so far. imma hold off on hoping that she'll be better all around though...

The rest of the week came and went. Theo, Eliza and Maria settling into a rhythm. In the morning, Eliza and Maria would wake up and start breakfast; Theo was surprisingly a late sleeper. Either Eliza or Maria would wake Theo up with a cup of coffee when breakfast was ready and they would all enjoy a few moments together before Eliza had to go off to work. 

Then Theo and Maria would clean up the breakfast leftovers and they would watch TV and cuddle. Hercules or Lafayette, or both, would come over for lunch, their mates were stuck on campus because of a packed course load. John was in grad school to become a trauma surgeon. Alex, who Maria had yet to meet, was a prelaw student at the same college.

“We,” Hercules had told her one day, his fork waving between him and Lafayette, “Met in high school. He was a freshman, and an exchange student, to my sophomore. We Bonded instantly and kind of pissed off his family.”

“French nobility are a pit of vipers. I was happy to have bonded outside of them so that I wouldn’t have to marry the woman I was betrothed to.” Lafayette said. “Of course Adrienne and I are close friends now, but while we were betrothed we hated each other. She didn’t want to marry me as much as I didn’t want to marry her. She owns a coffee shop that Alex is enamored with. It is near the college campus. He’ll probably drag you there sooner or later.”

“Alex can’t go two hours without a cup of coffee.” Hercules laughed. Maria nodded and smiled at the exasperated face that Lafayette pulled while Hercules discussed their mate’s addiction to caffeine. “It may actually be a problem…”

“John will say something if it becomes one.” Theo said. She was going through some paperwork that had piled up while both she and Eliza were working. After three days of no work, she was already itching to do something. 

“Are Eliza and Angelica ready for tomorrow?” Hercules asked.

“What’s tomorrow?” Maria asked.

The two men looked surprised and stared at the women. “No one told you?” Lafayette asked, exchanging a look with his mate. 

“Told us what?” Theo looked up from the paperwork suspiciously.

“Eliza called in a favor with Judge Washington and the primary hearing for your marriage dissolution is tomorrow.” Hercules said carefully, watching the other two women.

Theo was instantly at attention, she turned to Hercules and said, “We weren’t told that… Why didn’t Eliza say something?”

“Its actually Angelica who is taking the case, pushing it through as only Angelica can.” Hercules said.

Maria was suspiciously quiet; Lafayette turned his attention to her and swore. He got Hercules’ attention with a hand on his arm. “Mon amour, Maria.”

She was paper white and shaking. They were used to the scent of her suppressor heat announcing a panic attack the two were usually linked, but it seemed like the suppressors were almost out of her system because her scent hadn’t changed. Theo held out a hand to her mate, carefully touching her shoulder and rubbing her arm in comfort. “Maria? Baby, it’ll be ok.”

“I have to see Him…” Maria’s voice was tiny and terrified. The charming, funny, confident woman who was emerging from the drugged heat haze was gone and replaced by a broken child at the prospect of seeing Reynolds. Maria’s voice trembled in fear. “I-I have to see Him again…”

“Don’t worry, Love, I’ll be there and so will Eliza.” Theo started but Maria exploded into action.

“No!” She jumped up and started pacing the kitchen, eyes darting back and forth searching for something or possibly nothing. “You can’t go near him, he’ll hurt you! He doesn’t know who you are now and you are safe! But if he see’s you, he’ll- He said- He promised…”

“What, Love?” Theo stood and wrapped the trembling girl in her arms. She hated seeing Maria like this. She was doing so well after only a few days and Theo guessed that she should expect more regressions like this whenever they had to interact with Reynolds. Unfortunately, until the divorce was final, they would have to see him every time they went to court or had a meeting to discuss settlements. 

“In the dream, He said He’d kill you two and make me watch. And if I was lucky then He’d kill me too…” Maria was sobbing in her mate’s arms. 

“It was just a dream, and I can protect you from him.” Theo said but Maria was just shaking her head.

“No! He’d actually do it. He’ll kill us. All of us…” Maria sobbed.

“Let him try.” Lafayette growled and joined Maria and Theo, he placed a hand on Maria’s shoulder and squeezed a bit. 

“And, Love, Eliza and I have to go.” Theo added, tilting Maria’s head up to look her in the eyes. “We have to show the judge our matching marks. But we have the restraining order, and I know all of the cops on the force, I can ask them to patrol the neighborhood more often. Would that make you feel safer?”

Maria couldn’t answer, she just buried her face into her mate’s neck and made unhappy mumbles.

“I have an idea, why don’t we go shopping and get you a killer outfit for tomorrow?” Lafayette suggested.

“What?” Maria was shocked out of her tears by Lafayette’s suggestion. She rubbed her tears away with her fists and looked up into the face of the tall Frenchman.

“Oui.” Lafayette nodded. “We will get you the best dress to show Mr. Reynolds what he should not have mistreated and we can shop for Christmas presents!”

She could tell that Lafayette was getting more and more excited by the prospect of going shopping. But there were a few problems… “Don’t you have classes to teach this afternoon?”

“Oui,” Lafayette shrugged, pulling out his phone and sending off a few messages. His phone immediately began to ping back at him. “But they are all the introductory classes, and I have just asked my teaching aids to take them over. And Alex and John say they will meet us at the mall.”

“A proper escort for, Her Eminence.” Theo smiled and squeezed Maria around the shoulders; she hadn’t relinquished contact with her mate and could feel Maria relaxing. Her breath came in little post-sob gasps, but even those were evening out. But then she was tensing again.

“I don’t have any money…” Maria mumbled, looking down at her feet. 

“The clothes will be a Christmas present from us.” Hercules said.

“And Eliza and I will lend you money to buy presents for all of us.” Theo said, knowing her mate was going to object. Maria was proving to be fiercely independent. She had been mentioning getting a job to help pay for her food and her portion of the bills for the past few days. Up until now, Theo was able to persuade Maria that she needed to wait until the suppressors were out of her system completely. It was the only argument that would work with her headstrong mate. 

“There! It’s settled.” Lafayette said, pulling on his coat and shoes. He checked he phone and smiled at them, “Alex’s last class gets out in 20 minutes and John says he will be bringing him to the mall.”

“Ok, lets go.” Maria nodded once firmly.

 

***

 

The mall was crowded. It was to be expected, the week before Christmas. There were so many people that Maria began to get nervous that James would be somewhere in the crowd. Waiting for her.

She grabbed Theo’s hand and held on for dear life. 

The lights and colors of the mall were dazzling and she didn’t really know where to look first. It had been so long since she had been out in public that she was unused to noise and bustle of other humans.

“Are you ok?” Theo asked and squeezed her hand.

Maria nodded, she was a little pale and her heart was beating a bit too fast. But Theo was on her right side, Lafayette had his arm looped through hers on her left, and Hercules was a quiet hulking presence behind them. She could do this.

They reached the clothing store. A place advertising vintage and modern clothing in the same window. She peered in and noticed that it was almost empty. Not nearly as busy as the other name brand stores they had passed. The walls were covered in racks of clothing, a few racks stood in the middle of the store, but huge overstuffed chairs for patrons to use while shopping took up most of the floor space in the middle. John was already lounging in one such chair, eyes on his phone. 

“John!” Hercules called out. John looked up and smiled, he stood and came to his mate, hugging Hercules and exchanging a handshake with Lafayette. Theo had warned Maria that John and Lafayette didn’t get along well yet, something that sometimes happened in large Mate Bonds. John was new to the other pack, just like Maria, and they were still adjusting to each other.

“Where is Mon petite lion?” Lafayette asked and John rolled his eyes, pointing to the corner where a short young man was searching through the only shelf of books in the entire store.

“This place is certainly eclectic,” Maria said quietly to her mate. The other woman smiled and agreed. There were clothes, but also some books, small vintage appliances, jewelry, and toys. 

“Alex!” Lafayette called to his mate and the young man turned, revealing the brightest smile Maria had ever seen.

He looked to be almost the same age as Maria, which would make him around nineteen or twenty. When he stood to his full height, he was an inch taller than Maria’s five feet three inches. Lafayette had described him as scrappy once, and the description fit. He had long dark brown hair, deep brown eyes that looked like pots of ink, and unkempt facial hair that made him look like he was too busy to keep up with it. He approached them with a bright smile and a wave, talking as soon as he was within earshot. “So they really don’t have anything good here today. I was hoping they might have a first edition of something; remember the time I found that first edition of _Common Sense_ here? They were using it to prop up the bookshelf. Travesty. Hello, loves!”

Alex hugged first John, then Hercules and Lafayette. And turned to his alpha, asking seriously, “Did they do it?” 

“Not yet.” Hercules smiled and the two betas groaned.

“What’s going on?” Maria asked, looking to her mate and noticing the other woman barely able to contain her mirth.

Theo just shook her head, grabbed Maria around the shoulders and buried her head in her mate’s neck, and whispered, “Wait for it!”

“Do we really have to keep doing this?” John asked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “It’s been months…”

“Yes.” Alex said staunchly. “You both agreed, you signed the contract.”

“But mon amour…” Lafayette groaned.

“Who is going to sleep in the guest room and who is sleeping on the couch then?” Alex asked.

Both men groaned loudly, but John pulled his hands out of his pockets and opened his arms, he seemed more inclined to please his mate than Lafayette. Lafayette still had his arms crossed across his chest. He pulled himself up to his full height, which made him four inches taller than John. He looked down his nose and sighed, letting his arms drop. The two walked toward each other and exchanged the most awkward hug Maria had ever seen.

“Yes!” Theo pumped a fist. 

“They have to hug every time they meet?” Maria asked.

“Yes, ever since they broke my arm during John’s first rut with us.” Alex turned and finally acknowledged Maria. “They need to get used to each other. It’s not even them; it’s their betas trying to figure out the pecking order. And it’s pissing me off, therefore contract: they have to hug every time they meet each other. I'm Alexander Hamilton, nice to finally meet you.”

The other omega gave Maria a dazzling smile, she returned a less dazzling smile and he came forward for a hug. Which meant that Theo had to relinquish contact with her. As soon as Alex had ahold of her, he started to drag her to the racks of clothes talking a mile a minute. “This place is great. It has a great selection and it’s not too expensive to get a whole wardrobe. I come here at least once a month.”

As she was pulled away, she shot a look at Theo over her shoulder, a little overwhelmed. But Theo only smiled at her and held up her hands to say it was going to be ok. She also heard John grumble to Hercules as she passed, “It’s not like I hate Laf… He just…”

“I know, kid. Give it time.” Hercules responded and then Alex and Lafayette both were piling clothing into her arms and pushing her into a dressing room.

She tried on what seemed like a thousand outfits, some going back on the rack, but a good portion began to pile up on one of the armchairs. She finally came out in the last choice, a red dress from the fifties, it was silk and had a huge collar that spanned her shoulders. She looked down at the very large pile of clothing that the others had decided were good. “We can’t buy all of this…”

“What do you mean, ‘we’? You are not buying any of this. My mates and I are.” Lafayette said, a bit haughtily. “You have no clothes. You have been through too much, you should at least have nice clothes.”

“But.” Maria began.

“I’ll talk him out of most of it.” Theo said as she took the price tag off of the dress Maria was wearing. “You should wear this today. It’s very pretty.”

Maria blushed and looked at her feet. 

“Time for presents!” Alex bounded up to Maria and tugged at her arm. “Theo can’t come though. Her present needs to be a surprise!”

“I can’t go without Theo…” Maria said, fear spiking though her. What if He was here? He could take her back and hurt her and she’d never see her mates again. Her head spun towards Theo and she felt relieved to see that her mate was also a little apprehensive of letting her go off by herself. 

“I don’t think.” Theo began only to be cut off by Alex.

“No, this’ll be great. The alphas can get this taken care of and go shopping for themselves. Then we can go get Theo and Eliza’s Christmas presents.” He smiled at everyone.

“It may be good to let Maria go somewhere without you, Theo.” Hercules said with a shrug. “I mean, have you been out of the same room from her since you Bonded?”

“Yes…” Theo bristled. 

“Well then. It’s settled.” Alex said, pulling Maria away in his wake, the two betas following more sedately.

Hercules laughed and patted Theo on the back. “Hackles down, Prevost. What’s the worst that can happen?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, Herc, why did you have to go say something like that… You know you just jinxed them right?
> 
>  
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the shopping continues!!! I like them pampering Maria… Just let me have these little things, ok?

Hours. It had been hours since Maria had been drug out of the clothing store. They had been into every store in the mall, every boutique. Maria had found a few things that she thought would be good presents for her mates. They weren’t overly expensive or flashy; some sweaters, a few scarf and hat sets. But everything she picked up was dismissed by one of the others. 

“Not grand enough.” Lafayette had said about a matching desk organizer set for Eliza.

“You want to show them how much you appreciate them, right?” Alex said as she felt how soft some cashmere sweaters were.

She finally allowed them to take her into a jewelry store around hour two, though she told herself that they would never walk out of the store with anything. Everything there was too expensive and although she would love to get her mates something that nice, she was never going to ask Alex or his mates to pay for jewelry for her mates. She decided that she would just ‘not find the perfect thing’ in this store so they could move on. 

Alex and Lafayette were on the other side of the store, looking at earrings with matching ring and necklace sets. Lafayette was holding up a set of gold dangly earrings with diamonds and huge emerald teardrops to Alex’s ears and Alex was laughing at the extravagant set, pushing it away. John was close to her side; he seemed to have taken it upon himself to be her personal shadow. She didn’t mind though, he was calm and quiet. He didn’t push her or speak for her like the others could do sometimes.

“It sucks to be new.” He said suddenly.

“Hmmm?” she was involved in putting on a show of looking at earrings, all of which were too big and gaudy, and way too expensive.

“Coming into an established pack, it sucks.” John shrugged. “I mean I always knew I was going to be part of a big pack, but I didn’t think I’d be the last one to come in, or that I’d have the… problems I have fitting in.”

“How did you know?” Maria was curious, usually your Mate Mark didn’t show up until you had met your mate or mates. She remembered vaguely the feeling of her and Theo’s parts showing up on her skin, and then later Eliza’s joining in: a warm tingle along her ribs. But she hadn’t known where it was before then, or that she even had one. Sometimes people either never met their mates, or they were born without mates altogether. 

“I’m covered in freckles, every inch of me. Except I had a patch of skin on my thigh, about four inches, not a single mark. I knew that was where my mark would be and that I would be part of a big bond. At least enough space for four.” He smiled down at her; he had a look on his face that reminded her of when her mamma talked about meeting poppa. She wondered if she’d have that same dewy-eyed look on her face when she talked about her mates or her mate mark? How had she ever let James convince her that Mate Bonding was fake? 

She smiled back at him and then frowned down at the jewelry case, “I just don’t know them well enough to choose something that I know they will like…”

“Well, that’s no problem.” John smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. “Whatever you get them, they’ll love because it came from you.”

“Except it’s actually coming from you and your mates…” Maria said.

“Would it make you feel better if we let you come and do some cleaning around the house to pay us back?” John asked. 

“It would, but I’m pretty sure Lafayette would have an aneurism if I tried to come repay him.” Maria shot a look at the beta man across the store; he was placing a tiara on Alex’s head now and bowing low to the other man.

“Then he won’t pay for this.” John said, also looking over at his mates with a fond and exasperated smile. “I will.”

“But…” Maria started.

“It’s the only way you’ll be able to pay us back, Laf, Alex and Herc are all too noble to let you clean our house.” John said back.

“Oh, and you’re not?” Maria shot back with a laugh.

“Nope, I'm the scoundrel of the bunch.” John said with a wink and a twinkle in his eye. They were interrupted by one of the store clerks. 

“Looking for an engagement ring?” The woman approached them, a smile on her face that was practically predatory. 

“Oh, no.” Maria said. “We’re mated.”

The woman’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together in front of her mouth. “Oh! Congratulations! I assume you’ll be wanting to look at our selections of Mating Cuffs?”

Maria frowned. In her research on Mate Bonding, the term ‘Mating Cuff’ had come up many times. It was an ancient practice where an omega or beta were forced to wear a locking bracelet that connected to rings that slipped onto the fingers. In the past, the rings and chains had combined to the bracelet to make the omega or beta dependent on their alpha or beta. The chains were often too short for the wearers to close their hand, ensuring that they could barely feed themselves and that they could not fight back with any competence. They were coming back into fashion, but with longer chains and not many still locked or had all five rings. Modern Mating Cuffs were only one ring, a chain long enough to have full range of hand movement, and a small chain of bracelet. Either way, Maria was definitely not interested in wearing one… “Why would you assume we were looking for Mating Cuffs? We are nowhere near them.”

“It’s just that they are coming back into style,” the woman began, her smile slipping off of her face to be replaced with a look of confusion. “And you two seem to be a couple that is both traditional and on trend…

“We aren’t mated to each other…” John spat out in surprise when he realized what the woman was insinuating. His arm was still around Maria’s shoulders and he dropped it, shoving his hand quickly into his pocket. “My mates are over there, and Maria is just a friend.”

The woman shot a look over to Alex and Lafayette, she sniffed and looked away. They were still playing with the jewelry.

“Just because your heart is too hard to open for more than one person, doesn’t mean that his relationship is wrong, or mine for that matter. I have two beautiful mates, women that I am proud to call my partners!” Maria stood on her toes to look the other woman in the eyes. “Now, if you don’t mind, we’d like to deal only with your manager. The way you’ve acted is almost enough to make me take my business elsewhere.”

The woman rushed away, flushed. John gave Maria a grateful look. “Thanks for that, I need to get used to people looking down on us…”

“You shouldn’t have to. And neither should I.” Maria said with a glare at the woman’s back as she disappeared into the back room. “It’s not like same-sex bonds or three person bonds are all that uncommon. And she didn’t know that you had a fourth mate not here. She was way out of line.”

Lafayette and Alex wandered over at the same time the manager came out, apologizing profusely.

“Why is he apologizing?” Alex asked.

“Oh, one of his employees is a homophobe.” John said, making direct eye contact with the manager. The man had the grace to look away and flush.

“We should take our business elsewhere then, oui?” Lafayette asked, he took John and Alex both by the hand and began to leave, Maria following. He shot over his shoulder as they left the store, “Pity, I was really enjoying that emerald and diamond set on mon petite lion.”

They went to another three jewelry stores before Maria looked into a small case and gasped. There were two necklaces, one white gold, and the other yellow gold. The white gold was shaped like a full moon with a halo of stars set with tiny diamonds. The other was the sun, a diamond set between each of the rays radiating out of it. They were prefect.

“Can I see these two?” she asked the clerk. The man pulled them out of the case. 

Alex looked over her shoulder and cooed. “Wow, Maria! Those are gorgeous!”

“Oui! They are parfait!” Lafayette took the yellow gold sun and held it up to the light. It sparkled as it turned in the store’s lights.

She gasped at the price tags though… “Oh, but they are too-“

John cut her off, “If I hear the words ‘too expensive’ come out of your mouth, I will tape it shut. Remember our agreement?”

She shut her mouth and nodded. She did some quick math and decided that she would be doing the housework at the Mulligan-Lafayette-Laurens-Hamilton house for the next three years… Alex followed John to the cash register, pestering his mate to learn the details of the deal. 

Lafayette stayed behind to watch the clerk package the necklaces. She chose a nice blue wrapping paper for Eliza and a burnt orange for Theo. “What did John mean, petite, by ‘remember our deal’?” 

“Nothing…” Maria blushed under the French beta’s scrutiny. He tilted his head and would have kept staring her down but Alex and John returned, Alex pouting because John had also refused to tell him about the deal. They collected the bag with the necklaces and left the store for the food court. Alex was still determined to figure out what the deal was, and asking questions the whole time. 

 

***

 

They made it to the food court. The alphas were nowhere in sight.

“How about we just pick two restaurants and get a selection from each?” John suggested when they realized that no one knew what Herc and Theo would want and they didn’t want to have to wait. Plus Alex was whining about how hungry he was, his interrogation not being satisfied.

They agreed and John and Lafayette went to pick food while Alex and Maria went to secure enough seats and tables to fit their horde.

“I think Eliza and Theo are really going to like those necklaces.” Alex said. Maria could tell that he was angling to try and get the information about the deal out of her.

She smiled politely and wrinkled her nose at the other omega. “I do too, but you aren’t going to get anything out of me, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Am I that transparent?” Alex asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Only when you are on a mission.” Maria said, making an assumption about the young man. He huffed but smiled back at her. She stared off into the distance, imagining the two woman’s faces when they opened the presents she murmured more to herself than to Alex, “I really lucked out…”

Alex smiled; glancing over to where John stood in line for Thai food and Lafayette was waiting for burgers. “Me too, although I wish they would put aside their posturing…”

“Is it that bad? I mean I know about the broken arm…” Maria twisted her fingers nervously, discussion of ruts making her nervous.

“Not really, not all the time.” Alex frowned shrugging his shoulders and tilting his head. “But I think Laf’s rut is coming up, it’s making him a little more testy than usual. And John, bless him, he’s always dreamed of the perfect pack. He’s such a romantic. Its bothering him more than the rest of us. Don’t get me wrong; Herc’s come this close to just ordering the two of them to get along. And I want us all to just get along and be one big happy family too. It’s just I don’t really understand why Laf is pushing John away right now…”

“I’m sorry…” Maria took Alex’s hand and squeezed it in comfort. “They’re sure to work it out. I mean, Theo said you four have only been all together for six months, right? And how long has Lafayette been in the pack?”

“Oh, he and Herc started it.” Alex laughed. “They’d been together for eight years before I showed up. Things between them were intense too, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Intense how?” Maria was intrigued. 

“Oh well, betas and alphas, you know?” Alex was scratching his head again. “Especially during a beta rut. Did you know that Laf had a broken collarbone when I met him? They had some quote: ‘miscommunication’ which meant that Laf pushed Herc too hard to top and Herc’s alpha objected in the wrong way.”

They both laughed. Maria laughed more at the faces Alex made as he told the story. 

“Maybe you could show the both of them that they are equal in your eyes?” Maria suggested. “I mean, if the problem is them trying to see who is more dominant? Maybe the competing problem won’t happen?”

“Oh! That reminds me.” Alex slapped his forehead. “We already asked Theo and Eliza, but it would be wrong to not ask you too. I mean now that you’re living with them, you have a say too…”

“Just spit it out, Hamilton.” Maria chuckled.

“Would you mind if John came to spend a few days at your place during Laf’s next rut?” Alex asked, Maria was shocked and didn’t respond right away so Alex continued, not that he wouldn’t anyway. “It’ll just be for like three or four days. Herc said that he doesn’t want to risk anyone getting hurt again, especially me. And because they are still challenging each other… Maria, are you ok?”

Her breath was coming in short, harsh bursts. She needed to calm herself down. Her scent hadn’t changed yet, but she’d be ten kinds of fool to think that the suppressors were completely flushed from her system. She would get all of her friends into trouble if she started to have a reaction in the middle of the food court… Ruts were too rough, and it hadn’t occurred to her until now, but both of her partners would have one sooner or later… Alphas had at least three a year, whereas betas had one rut and one heat each. Although beta’s body temperatures didn’t stay hot enough to easily conceive… Why hadn’t she thought about this? Her mates would rut. And she’d have to deal with it…

 _It’s OK._ She told herself. _You are fine. Theo is not James. She will not treat you the way that he did. She won’t hit you. She won’t hold you down and push you until you’re raw inside and out. She is a good alpha. Your Alpha is a good alpha!_

Alex was trying to talk to her, but she couldn’t hear him. His hands were on her shoulders, trying to break through the panic. But nothing broke through, until…

“So what? Little whore, you left me for another omega chit?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, shit…
> 
> What’s gonna happen??????????? Poor Maria, she can’t catch a freaking break, can she?
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so Last week on Red Heat, they went to the mall and then the enormous buttmunch that is James Reynolds crashed the party. Ready to see the aftermath? 
> 
> This chapter is only one section long, but it’s a doosy of a section, folks! It’s about average length for my chapters, but because it’s only one section, I feel like it’s shorter… for whatever reason. I mean it’s over 2000 words… but whatever. Hope you guys like how this played out. Celtic Muse will tell you, halfway through this chapter I was texting her like, ‘I have no freaking clue that is going on and I'm not very happy with how this is playing out… help me!!’ and by explaining the situation to her, I was able to figure out the solution to my problem myself. So she was probably like ‘why even ask me if you’re going to just go fix it yourself???’ 
> 
> I love my beta, she puts up with so much crap.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I have to shout out to the people who commented on the last chapter... Like literally in the first few hours of me posting it... I was so overwhelmed!!!!! So thank you all so much:   
> shadowcub,   
> RavensTrinity,   
> Jaysong,   
> RedBerrie,   
> (and then Bee a little later on)!!!

The uneasy feeling that had settled into Theo’s chest as she watched the two betas and omega walk away leading her Omega did not subside. They paid for the clothing. She managed to convince Herc to let her at least pay for a few of the items.

“Maria has a better wardrobe than Eliza, now!” she joked with the other alpha. 

He laughed and pulled the bags off of the counter. “Let’s take these back to the cars before we start shopping. I have a list from Alex and Laf a mile long and I don’t want to lug all of these bags around all day.”

“Besides,” Theo responded. “They are probably going to go into every store in the mall before deciding on something, so we have time.”

“Oh, I asked Alex to ask Maria about John staying over at your place next month.” Hercules said as they meandered through the mall to where they had parked the cars. 

“Oh, I’d forgotten…” Theo frowned. “Is it still bad? I mean, they actually hugged within five minutes this time.”

“It’s getting better, but I'm not going to risk any of them.” Hercules said. “We were lucky last time that it was only a broken bone, it could have been someone’s eye, or I could have been farther away than just downstairs.”

“I’m sorry that things aren’t meshing too well, Hercules.” Theo said she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. She felt for the other alpha. Things could have easily been similar between Maria and Eliza; they could have rejected each other, they could be fighting, Eliza could have felt betrayed. Theo shuddered when she though of her mates fighting, it tore at an alpha. 

“It’s getting better.” Hercules smiled a little smile at her. “I caught the two of them cooking dinner together last week. And, though I don’t think they do it when they aren’t forced to, they hug without too much of a fight.”

They deposited the bags in Theo’s car, and then went back inside. Herc needed to get some last minute gifts for some friends, as well as ‘an actual wrap-able present for Maria’ Alex’s words. Theo was on a mission to get the rest of the Schuyler clan something that could be from Maria, the Schuyler Christmas Dinner was in a few days and, although they wouldn’t be expecting something from the newest member of their extended pack, Theo knew Maria would feel horrible coming empty handed. She had decided to just buy small gifts and have Maria wrap them. No need to giver her Omega extra stress about shopping for people she hadn’t even met yet. 

They took another two and a half hours, meandering through the mall and making purchases here and there. Then Lafayette sent them a text saying they were through and waiting in the food court. 

“I think it would be better to drop all of this off again.” Hercules hefted one arm full of shopping bags. 

“Yah, who knows how much they bought.” Theo agreed. “At least the cars are near the food court.”

When they arrived at the food court, Theo felt the tension in the air immediately. Her own anxiety skyrocketed, without warning. She surveyed the surrounding area and found the source of her feeling. A blonde man was standing over Alex, towering over the small omega and sneering down at him. Alex, though was holding his ground, glaring at the other man and letting loose a string of curses that would make a sailor proud. 

Lafayette and John were on either side of their mate, lending him their considerable intimidation factors. John stood to Alex’s right, flexing his biceps and smiling at the alpha with a feral glint in his eye. Lafayette, on the other hand, was the picture of nonchalance. He stood with a hand on his hips, inspecting the nails of the other for dirt. He didn’t look at the other man, simply turned so that he could watch him out of the corner of his eye. The effect was a beta who was disinterested in the events unfolding, when really he was hyper-aware and ready to spring into action. 

Maria was nowhere to be seen, but her suppressor-laced scent was everywhere. Theo assumed the blond man must be Reynolds, with the suppressors almost at low enough levels to not be detectable; it was the only thing that could be the reason for Maria to be so terrified. Theo pulled out her phone as rage brewed in her stomach. 

“Yes, this is Theodosia Prevost.” She said as soon as someone picked up on the other end.

“Theo!!! How’s your unexpected vacation?” Green had answered the phone, must be on desk duty again. He laughed at his own bad joke, but Theo wasn’t having any of it.

“I have a man in violation of a restraining order in the food court of the mall, he’s making a scene.” Theo said, her voice was shaking in fury over Reynolds coming within a mile of her mate. Hercules was striding forward to meet the threat that his mates were squaring off to. If Theo moved, she would tear the man to shreds. She had to stay put to keep herself out of jail. Intellectually, she knew that if she went into the fray, she would jeopardize her career, her mate’s career, the court case, and their futures. Unfortunately the rational part of her brain also wanted to kick this dickhead’s ass.

“Knox is patrolling the mall today, want me to send him over?” Green said, she could hear him pulling up the codes to contact the officer in question.

Theo smiled sweetly and responded, “That would be lovely, before he gets beaten bloody by the men who are trying to keep him away from my mate.”

“Ho, ho! Its that guy, huh?” Green said. On the radio he called the code and informed Knox that it was an emergency, adding that it was an officer’s mate in distress to spur the other officer along. “When are we gonna meet the pretty little thing? Huh, Prevost?”

“Maybe when this whole mess is taken care of.” Theo appreciated the man’s cheerful nature, and his inclination to stay on the phone with her. Without him she would be wading into the fray and causing as much damage as possible to Reynolds. Which would be bad, not only for Theo’s future employment, but also for Maria and her case against the other alpha. Theo began to pace a bit, just a few steps to the right and back to the left. She hated waiting on the sidelines, but the boys had it under control. She just had to wait, not let her instincts control her.

“Last minute Christmas shopping?” Green chatted; breaking through her imagination’s work showing her all the ways she could thrash the man who had caused her mate so much misery. She was physically shaking, trying to keep herself on the sidelines. 

“Yah,” she huffed a laugh. “Schuyler Christmas Dinner next week, needed to get some things from Maria for Eliza’s sisters.”

“Knox is almost there.” Green said.

“Tell him to hurry up. One of the spectators is egging Reynolds on. It’s about to dissolve to blows.” Alex was now on his tip-toes screaming at the other man, who had backed away a bit once Hercules had shown up. Two betas and an omega were nothing apparently. But add an alpha to the mix and Reynolds was reconsidering his decision to harass the woman who already had a restraining order against him. 

“Prevost.” Knox said as he approached her with his partner for the day. The alphas surveyed the scene. “Blond?”

“Yah, He’s got a restraining order against him, and he’s in clear violation of it.” Theo crossed her arms and clicked the phone off. She’d hear about how rude she was next time she saw Green, but at the moment all she cared about was getting Reynolds away from her mate so that she could go in and check on Maria.

“On it.” Knox nodded at Theo and waded into the crowd, followed by the partner, calling the traditional police mating call “Nothing to see here. Move along!”

He’d put a bit of his alpha persuasion into it, because the crowd immediately began to disperse. Theo sighed in relief and followed in his wake. She trusted that Knox would be able to handle Reynolds and she really couldn’t stand to be so far away from her distressed mate for one second longer. 

“So what? It’s a crime for me to go to the mall now?” Reynolds was belligerently yelling at the police officer as she approached the group. Hercules, Lafayette, John, and Alex were all looking like they were two seconds away from knocking the blond alpha out cold. 

She placed a calming hand on Alex’s shoulder; he was vibrating with fury, and she whispered to all four of them, “Stay calm.”

“It’s not a crime to come to the mall, just to be within 100 feet of your wife, Mr. Reynolds.” Knox was saying. 

The ‘wife’ part made Theo twitch. _Eliza and Angelica will be fixing that soon. Stay calm._ She told herself.

“I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the area, sir.” Knox placed himself between Reynolds and the rest of them, his hands spread to both corral the other man away and be ready for any sudden attack that may come. 

He was just about to turn away when Alex decided to drive the last nail in the coffin… “Yah, don’t you think you’ve done enough damage to your case as it is, Reynolds?”

It happened in a flash; Alex was a few steps away from his mates, too far from Theo for her to intercept. Reynolds turned back and ducked under Knox’s arm. His fist was cocked, ready to wail on the smaller Omega, and then John was between the two. He took the blow meant for Alex’s face on his chest, and returned it. Once, twice, three times his fist flew and connected with solid cracks on the side of Reynolds’ head. One punch to his eye, and two to the jaw. The irate alpha dropped like a stone and stayed down. There was a collective gasp from spectators who hadn’t left yet, and a small cry from under the table. Maria. So that is where she had been hiding.

Theo approached the table and as soon as Maria saw her mate, she flew out from the protection of the table. Maria was trembling in fear, sobbing and gasping for breath and all Theo could do was hold her little Omega. “Shhh… It’s ok. You’re all right. I'm here now, I'm so sorry that I couldn’t get here sooner…”

“Alpha… Alpha… Alpha…” Maria repeated in a tiny whisper between sobs. Her eyes were locked on Reynolds, though. She couldn’t let him out of her sight.

On the other side of the table John was panting a bit and shaking with excess adrenaline. He turned and took Alex’s face in his hands, “Are you ok?”

“Holy shit, are you ok?!?” Alex replied. “You just full on Fight Clubbed that douche bag!”

“Mon chou, I believe that mon cheri may have hurt himself.” Lafayette approached the two and took John’s right hand away from Alex’s face; a few of the knuckles were beginning to swell. “We must take little John to the hospital, no?”

Alex just nodded and mouthed ‘mon cheri’ to Hercules and Theo. He smiled and tucked himself under his alpha’s arm as the two betas left in front of them, Lafayette was cradling John’s hand in his with an arm wrapped around his shoulders to not jostle the other man’s injured hand. They were too far away to hear anything over the bustle of the food court, but whatever Lafayette was saying to John was making the other man blush and smile dreamily. 

 _Maybe they will sort things out sooner than we all thought…_ Theo thought to herself.

Knox was picking the dazed alpha up and putting him in handcuffs. Reading the man his rights and escorting him out of the mall. 

“I think it’s time we headed home, don’t you?” Hercules asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say how much I love John Laurens? Cuz I do! That adorable little cinnamon bun is one of my reasons to live. But I put him through so much crap!!!! If you read my other works, you’ll see. I never just give him a good happy life; he needs to work for it!! 
> 
> But I felt like I needed to show that not all relationships in my version of ABO!verse are perfect. Just because you find your soul mates, doesn’t mean that things will be smooth sailing from there on out. And when I go back and do the Prequel to this story, you’ll get to see more of how the boys came together and the little bit of a rocky road that they needed to walk to finally get to this coming together. Hell, even Herc and Laf didn’t have the most stable relationship before Alex got there. 
> 
> But back to this chapter. I just love that Reynolds finally gets knocked down a peg!! And so swiftly, that’s what happens when you threaten one of John’s mates, boi!!!! 
> 
> And Laf finally gave John a nickname!!! If I think about it, I think that Laf already had Mon Cheri picked out, but he though that John needed to earn it. Well he earned it!!!
> 
> And poor Theo for having to sit on the sidelines… but she would have killed Reynolds for sure if she had gone into that situation. I don’t want to have to send Theo to jail for murder, so her rational side took charge while her alpha wanted to tear Reynolds to shreds.
> 
> Comments give me life and make me write more, so it’s really in your best interest to comment!!
> 
> As always  
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is a fucking horrible day… ok? Like I’m at work and I’m almost done with my day and I’ve cried at least three times…. Literally if I could afford to go home early I would have done it... and I hate to leave work undone... 
> 
> If you all don’t remember, I live in Orlando and I was here for Pulse last year….. I didn’t know anyone in the attack or anything like that, but it was still an experience and the atmosphere in this town today just has me on edge. I’m super fragile… I feel like my entire existence is one huge frayed nerve….
> 
> And I’m transferring into a different department at work so I I’ve kind of been keeping it to myself. But the boss came up to me and started a big loud conversation with me about the transfer today and of course everyone heard and are all freaking out. Asking me “why are you leaving? Don’t you like working here? Don’t you like working with us?” And I’m just like, this is why I didn’t say anything before…..
> 
> Plus one lady found out that I don’t make as much as she does and she’s freaking out about that bc we’ve been working together for almost two years. So she’s like ‘I don’t understand America. We are doing the same job, why aren’t you getting paid the same as me?’ And I’m just like that’s why I’m leaving…. 
> 
> It's just stress, on top of stress, on top of stresss...... Be happy this chapter is already written, because I would not be posting today if I still had to write the chapter…
> 
> Short chapter, but I give you guys a really nice part at the end that I think you’re gonna enjoy!!! ;)

Driving home was a feat. Maria refused to relinquish her hold of Theo, even for the ten minute drive back to the house. John and Lafayette were in a similar state, Lafayette excusing his behavior by claiming concern for his injured mate. 

Hercules simply laughed and turned to Alex. “Do you want to drive the boys or the girls, love?”

Alex made a show of making a decision, “I’ll take the girls home, can you follow or do you think that we need to get John to the hospital fast?”

“We can figure something out on our own…” Theo suggested.

“No, we got this,” Hercules waved Theo off. 

“I believe that mon cheri needs to see a doctor.” Lafayette said.

“Laf, I'm almost a doctor, myself. And I was a gay kid growing up in the south, I think I know what a broken bone feels like.” John huffed, the two were still touching, Lafayette’s arm around John’s shoulders and John’s hand held immobile between them. However, the babying was starting to get on John’s nerves. 

“How about this?” Theo said, wanting to keep the peace and because Maria was still shaking from residual fear which was not being helped by the men getting testy with each other. “Everyone drives to our place, we watch a nice happy movie and if the swelling gets too bad by the end of the movie, you guys go to the hospital then. Sound good?”

“Sounds like a plan.” John said, a relieved look on his face. Lafayette looked like he was going to argue, but John chose that moment to pout and whimper, “Please, Beta? I just want to rest for a little bit…”

The surprised look Lafayette gave the two alphas was only compounded by the wink Alex gave John. The two had obviously been talking about how to get into Lafayette’s good graces. But Lafayette agreed that if by the end of the movie the swelling had stopped, they would go home instead of the hospital. “I guess you would know better if you had a broken bone than I, mon cheri.”

Theo sat in the back of her own car with Maria practically in her lap. She was still non-verbal, which worried Theo. Should she try to get her Omega to speak? Should she just leave her be? Let Maria process her thoughts and emotions on her own? Eliza had been one that needed to be forced to share her feelings after what that man had done to her. She had locked herself away emotionally and it had taken Theo months to work her way into Eliza’s inner feelings to help her work through them. Is that what Maria needed?

“I was so scared, Alpha.” Maria began talking herself, and Theo sighed in relief. Her Omega was 180 degrees the opposite of her Beta it seemed. “He shouldn’t have been near me. But he came anyway. I hated him, for coming and ruining everything. I was just about to calm myself down too…”

Theo shot a questioning look at Alex in the front seat when Maria didn’t say more about being upset before Reynolds got there. Alex just shook his head and shrugged, she’d find out later. When Maria was calmer and farther removed from the events of the afternoon. 

“But I knew you’d come save me, Alpha. You’ve always been there to save me.” Maria nuzzled Theo’s neck and her monologue tumbled off into unintelligible mumbles.  

Theo’s phone buzzed. She had missed a lot of text messages from her Beta…

**My Queen: What the hell just happened???**

**My Queen: And don’t tell me ‘nothing’ I felt something through the Bond.**

**My Queen: Utter panic, Theo. I was in the middle of a deposition and had to ask the judge for a recess to compose myself.**

**My Queen: Theodosia Prevost!**

**My Queen: You answer me right fucking now!**

**Foxxy Mama: Everything’s fine. We went to the mall and Reynolds was there.**

**My Queen: Oh, Lupa. Is Maria ok????**

**Foxxy Mama: Yes, he violated his restraining order. John knocked the shit out of him. Be prepared for that to come up tomorrow.**

**My Queen: What?**

**Foxxy Mama: He threw the first punch. John was defending Alex.**

**Foxxy Mama: But we didn’t know about the hearing tomorrow… When were you going to tell us?**

**My Queen: Fuck… Angie said she sent you an email… She’s the one handling the case…**

**Foxxy Mama: I didn’t get anything…**

**My Queen: Well, I can catch you up when I get home. And give Angie what for before then…**

**Foxxy Mama: Don’t piss her off too much. See you when you get home. Don’t be surprised if you find four burly men in our living room. Love you.**

**My Queen: Love you too. Love Maria too.**

“What does Eliza say?” Alex asked from the front seat.

“She was worried. And we interrupted a deposition.” Theo said. 

“Fuuuucccckkkkk…” Alex groaned. “She’d gonna be pissed…”

“I think she’s more relieved that nothing happened with Re- ahhh… You know who…” Theo thought better of saying Reynolds name when Maria gave a hard shutter and looked up from her neck.

“I messed up Eliza’s work?” She had regressed back to the childish tone she used when she was particularly upset, but at least she was talking. Unfortunately she was also tearing up again… “I made her feel worried…”

“It’s not your fault, Love.” Theo said. Maria just shook her head and began to cry silently into Theo’s shirt again. Theo decided Eliza might need a warning…

**Foxxy Mama: Just a heads up, Her Eminence is very distraught that she may have upset you at work today. May need to pull out Drastic Measures.**

**My Queen: Got it. Sacrifices of ice cream and pizza will be brought to appease the Empress.**

**My Queen: I’ll make sure to get enough to feed the Horde.**

Theo sighed. She loved that woman more than anything in this life…

 

***

 

One movie turned into two when Eliza came home, a stack of pizzas almost as tall as Maria in her arms. That was an exaggeration, but there were at lest six pizzas being devoured at that very moment. 

“We should make a proper movie den.” Theo observed, one arm around Maria, the other shoveling a slice of pizza into her mouth. “You guys are over here enough. Most of the time we just watch movies anyway. We could get one of those huge projector TVs and just cover the whole floor with mats and pillows, then we won’t have the usual fight over who gets the couch.”

They had arranged themselves in the living room, Theo, Maria and Alex on the couch, Lafayette and Hercules on the loveseat, and John lounged out in front of the couch leaning on Alex’s legs. When Eliza arrived home, she had to pull in a kitchen stool and set herself behind the couch. The group hummed in agreement. But Maria was preoccupied…

“Are you mad at me, Beta?” She asked in a tiny voice.

“Why would Eliza be mad at you?” Hercules asked. They had forgotten to relay the car conversation when they got to the house and Theo kicked herself…

“I messed up Eliza’s work…” Maria stared down at her uneaten pizza. She couldn’t look up at anyone in the room. 

“Oh, Dearest.” Eliza came around the couch and kicked John’s legs out of her way to kneel in front of Maria. “I was so worried, but not angry. I felt how scared you were, and how upset Theo was, and it scared me. I didn’t know what was going on. You are the most precious thing to me next to Theo. Please understand that.”

Maria finally looked up into Eliza’s eyes, whatever she found there made her tear up again and she launched herself at the other woman. She wrapped herself around Eliza like a climbing vine and seemed to have no inclination to detach herself anytime soon. 

“I think we need to do a bit of shifting.” Alex laughed breaking the tension in the room.

“No, stay there Alex.” Theo said as the young man made to move. “I’ll take the stool.”

“You have a much higher opinion of my strength than I do, then.” Eliza laughed, hugging her mate to her chest. “I'm down here and I’m not getting up.”

“I can help you.” Hercules offered. 

But he was waved away by Eliza. “No, Just pass me that pillow, Maria and I will keep John company on the floor.” 

The pillow was passed and Eliza settled herself and Maria on the floor with her back to the couch. Maria was clinging to her mate, with her face buried in the other woman’s chest. She peeked out at the mention of John and offered the beta a timid smile through a curtain of wild hair. Eliza thought about the need to run a brush through her mate’s hair and made a mental note to ask the next person who got up to fetch one from the bathroom. 

John, for his part, cocked his head to the side and offered Maria a tiny wave and a smile. His hand had stopped swelling and he still had full mobility; he declared it badly bruised, but not broken. 

Maria was soon dozing off with her Beta’s hands combing out the tangles in her hair. When the movie stopped, Hercules took his mates home thanking them for the night and dinner. Theo saw them to the door and returned to her mates, joining them on the floor.

When she got there, Maria was less than asleep. She had a focused look on her face like she wanted to say something. “Do you have a request to ask of us, My Empress?”

Maria blushed sweetly at the pet name. Both women had to lean in to hear what Maria murmured. 

“Do you think that I can sleep with you and Eliza tonight?” Maria blushed and bit her lip in the silence that followed her question. “I mean, I like the guest room a lot. It’s really nice, but I'm so alone. And sometimes I have nightmares and they scare me… sometimes I think I hear Him… and if you don’t want me to, that’s ok. I understand, you don’t have to let me. I just want to be near you. Please…”

“Oh, rose bud.” Eliza hugged Maria tightly. “Why didn’t you ask before? We didn’t want to push you into anything you didn’t want…”

“Of course we want you with us!” Theo said, coming forward to kiss Maria’s forehead, hands on either side of Maria’s face. “Like Eliza said, we didn’t want to push. If we’d known you were feeling scared and lonely… Please, Love. Please tell us these things.”

“I'm sorry…” Maria bit her lip, she wanted to look down in shame, but wasn’t able to with Theo’s hands keeping her head up. 

“It’s fine.” Eliza said, “I’ll pull out some more pillows and we can all fit into the bed fine.”

Once they had all changed into their pajamas and the extra pillows had been added to the bed, Maria found herself between Theo and Eliza. Both of her mates curled around her, wrapping her up and holding her close. She drifted off to sleep as content as she could ever remember feeling. It was comforting, especially after the day she had just had. Or the one that was coming in the morning…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fucking horrible day.........
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh!!!! So we are finally getting into the legalities of getting a divorce in this world! I just want to say that I have no idea how it actually works in the Real World (tm) but this is how I imagine it in my A/B/O world.
> 
> Also you get to meet a few new characters!!!
> 
> So without further ado: Here Comes The General!!!

The house had an air of nervous, angry energy the next morning. Nervous from Maria, angry from her mates. Even level-headed Eliza was picking up on the tension and was aggressively making coffee.  Maria was fidgeting, cracking her knuckles, tugging at her hair, chewing her lip. She knew she’d have to see him…

Of course she’d seen him yesterday… but that had been unexpected. Today, it was planned and the anticipation was worse than the shock. Or at least it felt like it at the moment. Eliza pulled Maria’s fingers out of her mouth, the smaller girl had moved on to chewing her nails, and squeezed her mate’s hand. “It will all be ok. This is only a preliminary hearing. The only thing that will be discussed today is whether there is enough evidence to have a trial and enter into settlement negotiations.”

“If she can, Angelica will try to settle out of court.” Theo added. “We don’t want to drag you through a lengthy court battle, love. You don’t deserve that. So with any luck…”

The sentence hung in the air like a prayer. A somewhat ominous air settled around the three. Soon though, Eliza was leaving for work.

“I’ll see you at one for the hearing at Judge Washington’s office, Darling.” She said as she kissed Theo goodbye. She bent to catch Maria’s chin and tilted her head up to look her mate in the eyes. “Don’t worry, Dearest. You’ll have the two of us there the whole time. Alex is helping with your case and if he can weasel his way into Washington’s office, he will. So you’ll have him there as a buffer also. Plus, Angelica will be there.”

“Like that’s so much of a comfort.” Theo let out a strained chuckle. Trying to lighten the mood. Eliza looked at her watch and had to rush out. Maria suddenly realized that she hadn’t met any of Eliza’s family yet, a stab of anxiety shot through her stomach at the thought that the first time one of Eliza’s sisters would see her would be in a court house…

“Penny for your thoughts?” Theo wrapped Maria in her arms and Maria was surrounded by the scent of her Alpha. Usually it was calming, but today Maria had the feeling that nothing would keep her calm. 

“I haven’t met any of Eliza’s family… Or yours for that matter… and the first time I'm going to meet my mate’s oldest sister is going to be at the beginning of a huge legal battle…” Maria was trembling. “I also have to see him. And we scheduled it… It’s almost like scheduling your own torture.”

“Well, we can’t really fix the meeting Angelica thing, she’s probably making last minute preparations for the hearing.” Theo was pulling out her phone, still one arm around her mate. “But I think I can solve the meeting all of our family members under unfavorable circumstances thing.”

She shot off a text and received an immediate answer.

“Who are you texting?” Maria asked. 

“My cousin. He’s meeting us for breakfast, go get dressed little one.” Theo pushed Maria towards the bedroom.

 

***

 

They arrived at the coffee house around 9. Hopefully, they would spend the few hours between 9 and 1 talking with Aaron and Maria’s mind would be taken off of the imminent hearing. At least Theo hoped.

Aaron Burr, Theodosia’s cousin and a beta, was sitting at a corner table, back to the wall. He stood when he recognized his cousin and indicated the other two seats at his table. 

Theo had to practically tow Maria through the coffee shop but the little omega came. Maria had chosen a pair of gray slacks and a bright pink blouse to wear, it was obvious she wanted to impress Aaron and the outfit was formal enough for the hearing. She was gradually getting paler the closer they got to the hearing. 

Aaron shook Theo’s hand as they got to the table. “Theodosia, good to see you. I was a little surprised to get your text. Today of all days.”

“We needed a bit of a distraction.” Theo said, pumping her cousin’s hand and then pulling out the offered chairs for herself and her mate. 

Aaron turned his attention to Maria. He held out his hand to Maria. “Hello, I am Aaron Burr. Your mate’s cousin.”

“Maria Reynolds…” Maria said slowly, hating the name.

“Hopefully not for much longer.” Aaron took Maria’s hand and, instead of shaking it, placed a light kiss on the back of her hand, bowing over the hand as he did. Theo laughed at the surprised look on Maria’s face as she took her seat. Aaron sent Theo a withering glare. “Just because my cousin chooses to not engage in more mannered ways of interaction, does not mean that we were raised to be rude and roudy.”

“His way of saying I should know better and should be treating my mates with more decorum.” Theo said, her eyes twinkling.

Maria felt a twinge of anxiety, despite the cheerful banter that Theo and Aaron were engaging in. They caught up on family matters and gossiped about one mutual friend or another. All in all, they allowed Maria to follow along with the conversation but didn’t make her contribute. 

Still, Maria couldn’t shake the sense of dread that was settling around her. She wondered how she would react when she saw him… What should she do when he started in on his lies and trickery? Maria found herself leaning as close to her Alpha as the chair would allow.

Aaron did not miss her position, unfortunately. “Would you like to leave, Miss Maria?”

“What?” She was unused to his way of speaking and surprised that he addressed her. 

“You look like you want to leave. I apologize if our conversation bores you.” Aaron said, stirring his tea.

“You’re not boring…” Maria said quickly. She couldn’t tell the man’s mood. It was elusive. He seemed relaxed, one leg crossed over the other leaning back in his chair. But his voice was clipped and slightly disappointed, his eyes were sharp. His manner was too mercurial, he reminded her a little bit of James and the way he would set up an argument; making comments that would force her to respond and then he would claim that her responses made him angry. She felt another jolt of adrenaline at his expression, her body trying to go into fight or flight. She looked between her mate and Aaron. “I just…”

“Aaron!” A sweet purring voice with a French accent cut into Maria’s bumbling explanation. “Do not be rude. You have known about le Petite omega for days! Your cousin and her mates have been trying to sort things out; there is no reason to be jealous that she is just introducing her new mate to you.”

“I’m not-“ Aaron began as a tall dark skinned woman holding a carafe of coffee stood over him with one hand on her hip.

“Do not be contrary, Aaron.” She said, filling the cups of coffee at the table and bearing down on the beta. “I know for a fact that none of the Schuylers have met Maria yet. You are the first family member to be introduced. Now be nicer to my customers or leave my cafe.”

The woman turned from Aaron and pulled a chair over to the table to sit with them, greeting them: “Theodosia! It is good to see you. I trust all is well? Of course except for your hearing today and the suspension from the force and all the growing pains of a new Mate Bond? Oh! Let me see that hand Maria, oh, it will leave a nasty scar but John did do a good job on that wound. I am guessing you are soon off to the court house. Did you get anything to eat? Do you need anything?”

Theo laughed and held up her hands to stop the alpha woman from talking. “We will answer some of your questions if you stop talking for a second, Adrienne!”

“But of course!” Adrienne stopped immediately and stared at the two women expectantly. Maria was a little shocked and didn’t know what to say in response so she just stayed silent. As soon as the woman stopped talking, she also stopped moving and Maria was able to observe her features; she had a long face and medium brown skin, her hair was died a turquoise shade that faded to light green at the tips. Designs were shaved into areas on either side of her temples. She had piercings in her nose, bottom lip and left eyebrow, along with as many as she could fit into her ears. She caught Maria staring and quirked a smile that seemed slightly familiar, had Maria seen it on another face recently? Adrienne winked at Maria,  “If I told you that I have only been in America for little over two years and before that I looked nothing like myself, would you believe me?”

“Im sorry?” Maria found her voice but turned her eyes down. 

“Don’t be sorry.” Adrienne brushed off Maria’s apology. “My cousin has pictures, ask him for pictures of me in France the next time he comes to your home.”

The puzzle pieces clicked together. Maria looked up with a little smile. “You’re Lafayette’s cousin?”

“Oui.” The cafe owner opened her mouth to say more but was called over by other customers and she left with a smile and a wink, throwing over her shoulder, “I’ll be by after work. Bearing cake for celebration or consolation. Adieu!”

“We should be going as well.” Theo murmured checking her watch. Maria’s pulse instantly jumped into overdrive… She followed Theo out of the cafe after goodbyes to Aaron trying to ignore the feeling that she was walking to the gallows.

 

***

 

The tick of the clock was oppressive. Each beat was a smack on Maria’s skin. She sat between her mates at a long table in a conference room. Angelica, Eliza’s sister had walked into the room just minutes before the meeting and they had no time to discuss anything. She was followed by Alex carrying books and folders which he began to unpack with a quick wink to Maria. Angelica was sitting with her legs crossed, long fingernails clipping on the table as she tapped her fingers impatiently. Both Judge Washington and James Reynolds and his attorney were late.

Maria dreaded the moment when James would walk into the room. Would he try to hurt her? A rational part of her mind told her that no, he would not try to attack her in front of so many people, but the part of her that was fueled by terror of the intimidating man whispered that it was a possibility. 

The door clicking open sounded like a gunshot in Maria’s ears and her head whipped around to see who entered. The three missing people walked in on each others heels. All four women and Alex stiffened when they noticed that Reynolds’ lawyer was joking with the Alpha judge. Washington chuckled as he set up his paperwork at the head of the table and nodded a greeting to the others in the room.

Maria’s full attention was on her husband. He looked the same, save for a black eye and dressed in a slightly ill-fitting suit. She smelt his regular sent of motor oil and cigarettes hidden under a cheap cologne, something about the sent never went away even after he’d bathed. It was obvious that he had tried to make himself more presentable but the attempt had fallen flat. 

Maria took a moment to search her feelings and discovered that this man no longer scared her. It was a surprise that had her discombobulated. She felt that she should be cowering away from this man, but compared to Theodosia, and even Hercules, James was a sorry excuse for an alpha. He didn’t have the quiet confidence and calm command that the other two alphas had. Overall his presence was just less powerful. She found herself marveling at how she once thought that James was a good match for her. He was like an oil slick, and while she remembers at the beginning he had caught her up, his sticky presence had no comparison to the way she gravitated to Theo and Elisa and the way they pulled her up. 

She spent too long in thought, though. Judge Washington was speaking and she had lost the beginning of the conversation but she was pulled back by Angelica’s strident tone, “I find it highly inappropriate that the defendant’s attorney seems to be already working on presenting the case without me present.”

“I just said that I was scheduling my next game of golf with the judge, not that I was going to be trying to sway his opinion.” James’ lawyer started. He was a tall alpha in a crisp white suit, much more expensive than James’ and had to cost more for his services than all the Reynolds’ had put together. “Jealous of how I spend my free time, Schuyler?”

“Only when it gives you the opportunity to sway the judge.” Angelica bit back.

“We’ll make sure to invite you next time, maybe it would help your case.” The other lawyer replied easily, insinuating that Angelica needed the help to win cases.

Washington cut in, a frown on his face. “I resent the insinuation that I can be swayed away from upholding the law, Mrs. Schuyler. If you would prefer another judge to hear this case…”

“No, your honor.” Angelica quickly backpedaled. She straightened her suit and smiled, “I’m sure that you will make a decision that is best for everyone as well as one that stays true to legal precedence.”

“If we can get back to the matter at hand?” Washington asked pointedly with a nod. He pulled up a file on the table and read from the top sheet. “I see that you are asking for a divorce based on Wexleburg’s law?”

“Yes your honor. My clients have recently bonded and wish to be fee to marry, if they choose.” Angelica explained. She shuffled her paperwork, Alex handing her a sheet of paper which she passed to Judge Washington. “We would like to expedite the proceedings on the basis of Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds living separately for the last month, as well as not being intimate for over a year-“

“We haven’t had sex because she went and had a miscarriage with our first and the doctor said not to for a while.” Reynolds said. There was accusation in his eyes, as if the miscarriage was her fault, as if she purposefully stayed unavailable to him for over a year.

Maria felt her blood turn to ice and she began to shake, getting angry. “I miscarried because you threw me down the stairs!”

“Un-substantiated rumor.” James’ lawyer said quickly, almost simpering at the judge. Staring across the table at Maria with a dead stare he continued,  “You honor, she is trying to besmirch my client’s character. There was no police report filed.”

“I-“ Theo’s hand on her arm stopped Maria from continuing. She shook her head once and tried to give Maria some comfort.

“Regardless of the why, my client has grown away from her husband. She has found a pair of mates and wishes to be separated from him.” Angelica continued.

“My client does not dispute that he and his wife have not had the best relationship for the last year or so.” Reynolds’ lawyer started. Theo snorted derisively next to Maria, but the man ignored her, “However, he is asking the court for the chance to reconcile his marriage before it is so rashly dissolved. He is from a good, southern family and the disgrace of a divorce, even one where mate bonding is involved, is beyond damaging. Give him the chance to win his wife back. We request bi-weekly marriage counseling sessions to begin immediately.”

“What?!” It was Theo’s turn to stand and bristle. She pushed away from the table and shot to her feet, leaning over the table and reaking of enraged and dangerous alpha. Eliza was just as angry, but she made an attempt to calm her mate. “Over my dead body!”

“It is not a unreasonable request. There is precedence.” The lawyer replied, staring Angelica down. His slimy smile spread across his face as he drove the nail in the coffin. “I mean the omega isn’t claimed by her new ‘mates,’ its not that much of a stretch to say that they don’t feel as, ah, attached as they claim.”

“We don’t need to claim her to prove the bond, you-“ Theo would have lunged across the table if it weren’t for Eliza’s grip on her arm. She snarled at the men on the other side of the table, her words dissolving into animal growls which the alphas on the other side of the table returned. Judge Washington called for order, Angelica and Alex were trying to get control over the irate male alphas, and Eliza was pumping out as much comforting pheromones as a beta could. The room’s air circulation system was overwhelmed by all of the scents.

Unfortunately, all the pheromones in the world wouldn’t have been able to cover the acrid scent of Maria’s Suppressor scent. At the worst moment, the final wave of Suppressor laced scent rolled off of her. It wasn’t near as bad as it had been two weeks ago when Theo and Eliza had come into her life; neither was it close to what she had smelled like when she had run away almost a full month ago. But it was enough to stop all the angry people as soon as they smelled it. Eliza and Theo turned instantly to check on Maria, Alex groaned and had to excuse himself to the restroom looking a little green, and Washington’s eyebrows rose halfway up his bald head. But it was the victorious look in the eyes of James and his lawyer that made Maria’s stomach clench in terror.

“This omega is suffering from Heat Suppressor overdose, she can’t be making sound decisions!” The lawyer cried triumphantly. “We move to have this hearing rescheduled until such a time that all parties are able to make rational decisions.”

“No!” Angelica said. She slammed her hands on the table and tried to argue. “My client is almost clean of the Suppressors, there is no need-“

Washington cut her off with a raised hand. “I have to follow the law, Mrs. Schuyler. Until the omega Maria Reynolds is declared clean of Heat Suppressors by a medical professional, we cannot continue this case. Take your mate home, Mrs. Prevost, Mrs. Schuyler.”

“But, sir.” Angelica tried but this time she was cut off by Reynolds’ lawyer cut her off. 

“But that is not according to precedence, your honor.” The repulsive man leered across the table. “Usually the omega is sent to a detox facility.”

“No.” Theo’s eyes flashed. Eliza glared at the men across the table while Maria just whimpered and clung to Theo.

Washington shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat but finally said. “Very well, until she is cleared Maria Reynolds shall be sent to-“

“Mountain Crest.” Eliza and Angelica both cut in simultaneously. Angelica continued. “Sorry, sir. But its our family hospital and they do have an Omega Detox Unit.”

“Very well.” Washington said. “You have until end of business today to get the omega checked into the clinic.”

“But, sir.” Reynolds’ lawyer cut in but was cut off by a glare from Washington. 

“This hearing is over. A new one will be scheduled as soon as Mrs. Reynolds is healthy.”Washington said dismissively staring down his nose at the other lawyer. The man left in a huff, Reynolds trailing behind smiling at the women like the cat that ate the canary. Washington watched them leave, his mouth screwed into a frown and his brows furrowed. “Mrs. Schuyler.”

“Yes?” Angelica and Eliza answered at the same time making the judge laugh before he turned serious again. 

“The Schuyler who is legal council on this case.”

“Yes, sir.” Angelica replied. 

“Make sure your case against that man is air tight.” Washington muttered under his breath, he glanced back and forth to make sure that only they were listening. “I don’t like being manipulated by the law and legal precedence. The law was meant to protect the innocent, not assist the powerful in exploiting the weak.”

“I will sir.” Angelica promised. Washington left the room in a flurry. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then.... the next few chapter, shit's really gonna start hitting the fan... very few filler chapters/ sections from here on out. Of course there is gonna be Christmas and New Years and then whatever is gonna happen in this divorce case, but soon this story arc will be ending.
> 
> I may make this part about 4 or 5 more chapters. But don't worry, I have lots of plans for the sequels and I'll start working on them as soon as I finish this one. 
> 
> I've been re-reading all of Tamora Pierce's novels, and I'm obsessed with a lot of the Laf Lams writers on here... so I'm also working on a Laf Lams fic set in a fantasy world. Magic, kings and queens, gods and goddesses, and of course our favorite founding fathers may be filling the space when I'm done with this installment of the Heat series and the CMJL part I'm working on right now. Hopefully you guys will read that story as well. and hopefully you like it. ;)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter guys…. Be prepared…. 
> 
> I am unfortunately going to have to go on a hiatus… Which is why I’m updating both of my stories on a Sunday night. I start my new training tomorrow, and I’m not sure what it’s going to be like. Also I don’t have anymore chapters finished right now, so I don’t know if I’m going to have time to work on writing much. So I’m going to hit the pause button for at least a month, unless I end up having time and inspiration to write. Wish me luck at my new job!!

Maria was floating in a haze of panic and terror. The second Washington said she had to go to a detox facility, she checked out. Detox facilities were the bane of an omega’s existence. She’d heard horror stories of omegas going into a clinic and being mistreated, abused and pushed around until they were a shell of the person they were before. She imagined that the people who worked there were the same as James, callous and uncaring, prone to violence against the omegas they were supposed to take care of. The horrific possibilities of what she would go through were playing out in her head one after another. 

Maria was so lost in her own head that she didn’t recognize being led out of the office building and sat in the car. She didn’t hear her mates speaking in hushed and worried tones. She didn’t hear the car start and didn’t feel them head towards home. All she knew was mind-numbing fear.

Slowly the shock wore off and she began to respond physically to the stress she was under. Her scent changed to terror and Suppressors. She began shaking and sobbing, unable to break herself out of her hysterics. How could this have happened? 

James’ face as he left the conference room floated in the front of her mind. He planned this… He knew she couldn’t have been completely clean of the Heat Suppressors, not with the dose he had been giving her and how long she’d been on them… All he had to do was make sure she got agitated enough to change her scent in front of the judge. His lawyer was too ready to suggest the detox facility. He planned it all.

When Maria was finally able to focus on the here and now, she noticed that her mates were both in the back seat of the car with her. Alex was at the wheel. Theo and Eliza were on either side of her, holding her and whispering calming things to her. She blinked between the two of them and a thought sparked in her head. “Claim me.”

“What?” Eliza asked.

“Claim me, before I have to go.” Maria climbed into Theo’s lap and began to rub her face into Theo’s neck. “Claim me please, alpha.”

Theo groaned, her hands holding Maria’s hips still, but it was Alex who responded. “They can’t. Judge Washington has already seen that Maria isn’t claimed. Its part of Reynolds’ case, you can’t do anything until Maria is cleared of the Suppressor Haze.”

“He’s right…” Eliza murmured. “He must have noticed yesterday that you weren’t claimed, Maria. Then he and his lawyer concocted this plan. I hate Charles Lee!”

Eliza slammed her hand into the door of the car, causing Maria and Theo to jump. Alex chuckled, “Who doesn’t?”

“Charles Lee?” Maria asked, quietly.

“He’s from the King law firm. He takes only divorce cases for male alphas. Drags their partners through the dirt, making sure that they have no reputation after the divorce is settled.” Alex supplied. 

“King…” Maria had heard the name before, she had to have. It rang a dangerous bell in her mind. “The senator? The one who is fighting against Omega rights?”

“Yah, his family’s law firm.” Eliza sighed. Theo reached out and grabbed Eliza’s hand, gave it a squeeze. “It just had to be connected to King…”

“What do you mean, beta?” Maria asked, picking up on the desolate scent enveloping Eliza. 

“George King the third is my ex-husband, dearest.” Eliza began. She sucked in a shaking breath and gave her mate a sad smile. “My father is also a senator, so we grew up in the same circles. My father approved of him and his career and King can be charming when he needs to be. He wouldn’t have gotten to be senator so young if he wasn’t.”

“Eliza, you don’t have to-“ Theo was growling low in her chest, she reached across the car and squeezed Eliza’s arm. 

Eliza just shook her head and replied, “Its not a coincidence that Lee is Reynolds’ lawyer. George must have found out about Theo and Maria…”

“That makes sense.” Alex said. He’d been driving surprisingly quietly until now. “I’ve been trying to figure out how Reynolds could afford Lee’s fees, his business didn’t seem to be that successful. And Lee never does pro-bono work.”

“That’s just childish, if King is footing the bill just for the chance to mess with his ex-wife…” Maria murmured.

“George is the kind of person who believes people can be property and that what was once his is always his.” Eliza said sharply. “Trust me, its not beneath him to do something like this. Especially if he can’t be tied directly to it… He hasn’t tried anything in over a year, so I guess we were due for some kind of retaliation.”

“Don’t think like that.” Theo was still growling, but now her tone changed to one of concern. “It’s not normal for him to try and interfere in your life like this. He has no right to you or your life. Don’t let him take your happiness.”

“But he’s already managed to take our omega from us…” Eliza mumbled.

Stunned silence hung in the car for a long beat. Maria had been almost able to forget that she was on her way to a Detox Center for who knew how long. Now she was scared again, and Eliza’s sorrow mixed with Theo’s agitation had her filling the air with the Suppressor scent again. Alex quickly opened the windows of the car so that they could keep driving without sending him into a heat, but Maria was already whimpering and clinging to her two mates for dear life. 

“Ok,” Theo began, sounding like she was gathering the frayed ends of her own nerves and binding them together through sheer power of will for her mates. “What’s the worst that could happen? Maria is gone for a day or two and then Lee is able to convince Judge Washington that Reynolds deserves his counseling. We know Maria will be coming back to us no matter what. And eventually even a marriage counselor will be able to see that Maria doesn’t love Reynolds. We knew it would just take longer if he decided to fight it. It’ll take longer, but I know we will be able to weather this storm. I believe in us. We just have to be strong and lean on each other. Ok, beta? Omega?”

“Yes alpha.” Maria and Eliza replied in tandem and giggled a bit.

“And besides, Mountain Crest is the best hospital for Omega care on this coast.” Alex chipped in, they were pulling up to the house to grab an overnight bag for Maria’s hospital stay. “You basically get to have an overnight spa vacation with a bunch of other omegas, Maria!”

 

***

 

“What do you mean, ‘I’m not on the visitation list?’” Theo practically growled at the nurse at the front desk of Mountain Crest a few hours later. She and Eliza had settled Maria into a small private room of the Detox wing, a double row of small rooms with the best ventilation system that money could buy and a little guest/ recreational area at the end. They’d filled out some paperwork with Maria, and left to get the three of them dinner. Now she and her mate were standing at the reception area literally three feet from their mate’s room, but they were being barred from entry. 

“It means exactly what it sounds like, Mrs. Prevost.” The beta nurse said, not looking up from the paperwork she was filing. 

“But we literally just filled out the paperwork, our names were on the list.” Eliza tried to reason with the nurse.

“Well then you would be on the list, unless your mate decided to take you off. However you’re not on her visitors list. And I’m not allowed to let anyone who isn’t on the list in to see patients.” The nurse stood firm.

“She’s our mate!” Theo almost roared.

“Then you think she’d have put you two on her visitors list. I guess you have some things to work out in your pack then, hmm?” The beta didn’t waver. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She was probably used to Alphas getting upset at her. The ventilation in the hospital was very good, because even though Theo was radiating angry alpha scent and had slipped in her control of her influence, the nurse across the desk barely twitched her nose. She did look down it, though, as she finished, “But you’ll still have to wait until she’s been released, or adds you to her visitors list. Have a good day, ladies.”

The dismissal set Theo off, but Eliza’s steel grip on her arm guided the alpha out of the hospital. As soon as they were through the doors and into the parking lot Theo began waving her arms around in outrage and she started yelling, “I can’t believe this. I put our names on that damn list myself! How could we be removed from the list in just a few hours? Why aren’t we on Maria’s list?”

“Please calm down…” Eliza sighed as she unlocked the car and held open the door for her mate, but Theo was having none of it. 

“I don’t believe it. Not with the way she was holding onto us in the car here, or how she was as soon as we got into the room.” Theo snorted. “No, something happened.”

“Maybe she just doesn’t want to see us right now, alpha.” Eliza practically pushed Theo into the car, crossed to the drivers side and got behind the wheel.

“How are you so calm right now?!” Theo asked, she was hurt that her mate wasn’t more upset that they had been barred from Maria’s room.

“I’m not calm!” Eliza shouted back. There were tears in her eyes when she turned to look at her alpha. Her shoulders shook with held in sobs and her fingers on the steering wheel were white knuckled. “I’m angry, I’m upset, I’m terrified. But I can’t process this right now. You need me to be calm so that we don’t get permanently banned from this hospital. Angelica needs me to figure out what’s the next angle Lee may come at us from. Maria needs me to keep both of you safe and out of jail. I have to figure out what King has to do with all of this and why he’s decided to come fuck with my life again, _if_ he’s decided to come fuck with my life again. And right now we just need to get home and sleep the rest of this horrible day away!”

Eliza was shaking like a leaf as Theo pulled her into a crushing hug. She sobbed into Theo’s shoulder, her scent not changing an iota. It wasn’t the first time that Theo cursed herself for forgetting that Eliza had learned to keep any and all distress from her scent from years of secret abuse from King. It was the one thing that she had kept about herself from that time of her life. Unfortunately, it was too easy for Theo to forget that Eliza got stressed, sad, angry, scared, etc. She never let it affect her where others would see; compartmentalized so that she could deal with things at another time without witnesses. 

“I’m so sorry, my love.” Theo said, during her face into Eliza’s hair and breathing deep. The scenting served to calm the both of them. “This is stressful for the both of us.”

“Just think how Maria feels…” Eliza mumbled as her sobs petered out. 

“You don’t have to take all of this on by yourself. Angelica has Alexander and the rest of the law firm to help her. I can keep myself safe… and calm enough to stay out of trouble.” Theo said, pulling Eliza away to look into her eyes. She wiped some of the tears from her mate’s face, kissed her slow and tender. “And we don’t have to worry about King until he actually interferes personally, ok? Besides, he has more important things to worry about than messing with our relationship; next year is an election year and he needs to find a cause to spearhead if he’s gonna look good in the poles. And I think that you deserve to take a break as soon as all of your open cases are finished. Don’t drop them off on anyone else.” Theo said raising her hands as her mate open her mouth to argue. “Just don’t take any new ones for now. You’ve been working yourself ragged and you need to rest and bond with Maria.”

“I have bonded with Maria…” Eliza looked dubious. 

“Not how you want to bond, my queen. You haven’t had any time alone with her, she still doesn’t know you.” Theo kissed the tip of Eliza’s nose, each of her cheeks, and finally her lips. “Just think about it. You have the vacation time. And I’ll be getting off of suspension soon. I know I’d feel better with you staying home with Maria when I go back to work. At least until this whole divorce thing is taken care of.”

She wanted to argue, but her stomach growled in the following silence making both of them chuckle as the mood broke. “Let’s go home, my alpha.”

“‘Take me to bed or loose me forever’” Theo quoted. Top Gun was one of the alpha’s favorite movies. Eliza groaned and rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she started the car and pointed them towards home, they were bound to watch that movie tonight before going to bed. Anything to distract them from the stress of the day. But the empty spot between them would be impossible to ignore that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep trying to delve into Eliza's past with King and the other characters keep dancing around the subject and changing the topic of conversation... Its maddening!!!
> 
> Poor Maria. Poor Eliza.... Poor everyone!!! Except Reynolds, Lee, and King. Fuck them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, kiddies. The shits really starting to hit the fan…. Be prepared for the Angst Train thats about to hit all of y’all. *Toot Toot*
> 
> I have to say that I’m kind of proud/ ashamed of this writing. One the one hand, I’m proud because I think this is the most shit I have ever thrown at my characters in the span of just a few chapters. And my writing teachers always said to make a story interesting put your characters up in a tree, then start throwing rocks at them, and then see how the fall out of the tree. Usually I just have superficial problems and my stories make me cringe when I go back and read them because they are so flat… This time I'm making the characters hit every branch on the way back down. On the other hand…. Like how, how, HOW could I put my precious little muffins through all of this???? I guess the muffin analogy works here, if they didn’t go through the heat of all this, then they wouldn’t be such delicious little muffins in the first place.
> 
> Anyway, I’m done being all poetic, enjoy all this angst.

Five days. Five excruciating days of basically being locked in a tiny room. Visited hourly by a nurse who would ask her again ‘Why did you feel the need to abuse your medication?’ ‘Did you know the consequences when you abused your medication?’ and  ‘Are you feeling like the world is against you? Like you have no control over your life?’

“I didn’t abuse my medication!” On the first day, Maria had started out telling them the truth, but none of the nurses believed her. They didn’t want to hear that she had been drugged by her husband, that she had drug herself out of his house one night in the middle of winter in nothing but a sundress and drug herself through the streets to hopefully find someplace safe, someplace she could get clean and get away from Him. The didn’t want to hear that she hadn’t taken a single suppressor in over a month since her escape, they just wanted to hear that she had done this all to herself and that he needed help for depression or some other mental disorder. They always came back with the same questions, hoping she’d slip up and tell them what they wanted to hear. On the third day, Maria stopped responding. 

She also stopped eating. She refused every meal that came to her. Already too skinny to afford to loose much more weight, she started wasting away in the middle of a hospital. She’d heard the nurses whisper about putting a feeding tube in her mouth or connecting her to a IV drip if she didn’t start eating soon. But her mates had left her here, why should she care about her health? They obviously didn’t want her. Neither Eliza or Theodosia had been in to see her since the first night when they’d left to get dinner. They must have realized how much trouble Maria was and decided to leave her, cut her out of their lives and wash their hands of the whole experience. Life was always easier without Maria…

Maria cried constantly, her heart breaking every moment she was stuck there. She’d had two beautiful weeks with her wonderful mates and was grateful for that time. At least she had the memories to hold her until she was able to waste away to nothing. She’d miss Lafayette and Hercules coming over for brunch in the mornings. She’d miss the awkward hugs that John and Lafayette still had to force. She’d miss listening to Alex ramble about one professor or another at his school being wrong about something. She’d miss the way Eliza would reach out just to touch Theo every once in a while just to make sure her mate was near, or the way Theo would wake up in the middle of the night and take a walk around the house to check on things. 

She felt guilty that she wouldn’t be able to pay John back for the clothing they’d bought her. Was it only a few days ago? She could remember his assurance that she’d be given the chance to pay her debts to him and his mates. At least she hadn’t worn many of the garments, they might be able to return most of them and get their money back. But how nice and understanding John had been… The timbre of his voice haunted her…

“What’s she doing on the floor?” John’s voice seemed to float from far above her. Maria couldn’t take the image of one of her friends, disappointed and angry at her. She screwed her eyes shut and clapped her hands over her ears as if that would block the memory of John’s voice in her head. Surprisingly the next time she heard John’s voice it was dulled by her hands. “Maria? Are you ok? Can you open your eyes and look at me?”

Maria tried to crawl further into the corner of the floor that she’d curled up in. It wasn’t as good as a nest, but in her distraught emotional state the corner had to do. She whimpered as she did, hating herself and everything all at the same time. Why did she have to torture herself with ghost voices and imagined friends? But then there was a soft hand on her shoulder and the familiar voice of one of the hall nurses began, “We can’t keep her on the bed. And besides it’s not like she’s a prisoner, she can do whatever she wants in this hall as long as she doesn’t hurt herself or others.”

“Have you been feeding her?” Came a reply, Maria cautiously opened one eye barely a crack and her heart stopped. John actually was in the room,  crouched in front of her with his hands hovering above her arms and turned back to address the nurse who was standing a few feet away. “She was underweight to begin with and now she’s lost what she’d gained since I met her and then some.”

“She’s been refusing food for no reason.” The nurse replied irritably. 

“She’s in a new Bond, you idiot! You’re a poor excuse for an Omega Detox Center nurse if you claim to not understand the emotional upheaval when an omega is separated from their mate or mates!” John’s face clouded with more anger than she’d ever seen come from him. He stood to square off with the nurse, but a new arrival to the room had him censoring what he was about to say. “I assure you that her mates will be suing this hospital for neglecting their mate.”

“I’ve also alerted the Chief Physician of the lack of organization of your department as well as the lab. Expect to be audited in the near future.” The woman said as she stepped up to the nurse. She was an omega, short with short brown hair and glasses and the dark skin that told of middle eastern ancestors. But her rank as a doctor, evidenced by the embroidered patch on her white coat reading ‘Dr. M. Manning,’ gave her power over the beta nurse. She waved a file in the other woman’s face, “These tox screenings should have been back four days ago. And at the very least my patient should have been released three days ago.”

“We had to wait for the labs to get to us…” the nurse mumbled, ineffectually. 

“I found these here in your hall already, in a file marked Maria Lewis.” Dr. Manning said looking down her nose at the nurse, a feat that was impressive considering she was shorter than the nurse.

“This is Maria Reynolds, ma’am.” The nurse finally smiled as if she was no longer at fault.

“Ms. Lewis is going through a divorce and has decided to use her maiden name again. She was checked in as Maria Lewis, her paperwork all has ‘Lewis’ on it. You have no patient named Maria Reynolds.” Dr. Manning’s voice was cold. “The incompetence of this department will be a central topic in the conversation I am planning with your Chief Physician. These tox readings show that Ms. Lewis should have been released before Christmas, three days ago. We will be escorting her out.” Dr. Manning pushed the files at the nurse and started to turn away but she was interrupted by the nurse.

“You can’t take her now, she’s too weak. We need to keep her until she’s returned to a healthy weight.” The nurse walked forward, trying to position herself in between Maria and the others. 

Dr. Manning drew herself up to her full height. Looking at the nurse like something less than a speck of dirt, she had had enough. “I am a fully accredited doctor and professor at Lupa’s Light University and Teaching Hospital. There is nothing that I do that you can tell me I cannot. I will be preforming my own examination of of _my_ patient and then _I_ will decide what the best course of action is for her. I was going to leave you to your day and allow you the chance to clean up any other messes that may be hiding in plain sight like the one with Mrs Lewis, but now I think I will ask the Chief Physician to clear his schedule. I did teach him everything he knows and he owes me.”

Dr. Manning strode from the room, the nurse following at a run and blustering excuses and apologies. John turned back to Maria. “Hey, kid. Ready to blow this popsicle stand?”

Maria had sat frozen though the entire exchange, too scared to hope that she would be allowed to leave this hell… Now she still wasn’t sure that this was real. However, she sobbed and launched herself off the ground to hug John. She was crying with relief, shaking from exhaustion, and ultimately too weak to keep herself upright. John looped an arm under her knees and around her back and hefted her easily out of the room. She might have been imagining it, but she thought she could smell a faint trace of her mates on the beta’s jacket, like they had also hugged John recently. 

“Where are they? What happened? Why didn’t they come visit me?” Maria couldn’t get her mouth to stop talking. She was desperate for any news of her mates, even if the news was only, ‘they hate you now and want nothing to do with you.’

John simply shook his head and said, “Not here, little rose.”

He carried her to a wheelchair and then set her down. They went through the hospital wards, through a number of store rooms and down into the underground parking structure, where a black SUV was waiting, it’s windows tinted the blackest of blacks. She wondered why they took such a convoluted route out of the hospital instead of just going out the front doors and into the parking garage’s ground level entrance. The confusion was swept from her mind when John opened the door to the car and she saw Lafayette and Alex in the front seat of the car.

“Maria!” Alex greeted her cheerfully. Lafayette smiled warmly as he put the car in drive after John jumped in after her. At least these men were happy to see her. Maybe her mates wouldn’t wash their hands of her entirely… if their friends were picking her up from the hospital.

Alex chatted happily form the front seat, superficial things with no real importance or consequence. Maria was content to listen to Alex babble on the way home.

They passed the exit that would take them to Theo and Eliza’s home and Maria’s warning system started to ring. She sat up straight watched the sign pass by them. Her eyes flashed around the car, focusing on each of them. When she spoke, Maria’s voice quivered, “Where are we going? Whats going on?”

They weren’t taking her to her mates… So they really didn’t want anything to do with Maria… John and the others had saved her from the hospital only to take her to an Omega Home where she would live the rest of her life, knowing she was rejected by her mates, unloved and uncared for. It was the worst fate an omega could think of.

Warm hands on her cheeks smeared the streams of tears over her face as Alex’s face swam into focus in front of her eyes. He had scrambled into the back seat and was holding her; he gave her a little shake and began to speak intently, “We are taking you to our house. Theo and Eliza are… out. Dealing with something and we aren’t sure if your home is safe enough to leave you alone. I wouldn’t put it past Reynolds to try something.”

“And I have to make sure you’re healthy enough to be alone.” John pitched in soothingly. “I’d rather have an overfull house than let you alone and have you pass out from exhaustion and malnutrition.”

It calmed her fears. The reassurance that they weren’t going to just drop her off at some Omega Home. Dreary sad places left over from the days when Omegas weren’t allowed to work for themselves and had to rely on family or the charity of the government to survive. Ideally, the houses were set up to provide comfortable living for omegas who had been rejected by their mates, widowed, or lost their families for one reason or another. But in practice the houses were understaffed, underfunded, and only ever existed in the poorest parts of cities. They ere subject to violence and break ins. Omegas who lived there had literally nowhere else to go.

“What is Theo and Eliza dealing with?” She asked. She was frightened of what they had to do that was more important that seeing her as soon as she got out of the hospital. They could just be embarrassed of her and not want to see her. Maybe staying away for a few days was their way of punishing her? It was an effective form of punishment for Maria. Even now she felt the longing ache to be near her mates even when she was surrounded by friends. 

“We really aren’t the ones to tell you, Maria…” John sighed. That sounded too ominous for Maria’s liking. 

She was about to press the issue when they pulled up to a row of tall houses, each with a shopfront as the ground floor and at least three stories above the shops at street level. The one we pulled up to had ha huge window with the words ‘Revolutionary Threads’ painted on it. Inside the window was three mannequins each with a gorgeous ball gown on them. In the center was a pink gown, the bodice covered in beads with it’s skirt made out of layers of fabric so fine that they looked like they could float away if they weren’t attached to the bodice. The one on the left was strapless, and very risqué, it’s bodice looked like two antlers reaching up from the skirt to cup the breasts of the mannequin it was on. It was obviously made with some sheer fabric to hold everything up and together because that fabric sparkled like tiny diamonds, but still it would show way too much skin for my liking. The last one, next to the door of the shop was sky blue with off the shoulder sleeves made out of feathers. There was a kind of cape to this last one, it was fashioned to look like wings as it trailed behind the gown (or draped around the side as it was now in the window).

Alex led the way into the shop calling out in a singsong voice, “Honey, were home!!”

“These are beautiful!” Maria exclaimed.

“Thank you for the compliment.” Hercules smiled as he stood from behind one of the machine at the back of the shop and hit the mute on a TV in the corner. “I worked hard on the designs.”

“You made these?” Maria asked. She realized at the last moment that her tone was a bit too incredulous to be polite.

Hercules chuckled and came to wrap Maria in a hug. “Not exactly the most common Alpha occupation, Huh? But the fabric talks to me.”

“It mustn’t just talk to you, it must sing.”Maria said, taking in the rest of the shop. It was covered in bolts of brightly colored fabric, sketches for outfits that hadn’t been made or were in the middle of being made and many machines that Maria didn’t know the names of. For a second, Maria’s fingers itched to touch everything and learn the uses of each apparatus. But then her eyes caught on the television Hercules had muted when they walked in.

“Shit.” Herc mumbled as he and the rest of the boys saw where her eyes went. 

Hercules fumbled to turn off the screen, but Maria cried out, “No! Keep it on! What are they saying??”

The screen showed a local news show. It looked to be a press conference on the steps of City Hall. A man Maria vaguely recognized as the Chief of Police stood behind a podium answering questions it seemed. He held his hands up in a placating manner as people in the line of the camera waved their hands for attention. But what caught and held Maria’s attention was her mates and the headline scrolling under the image. Standing just behind the Police Chief were Theo and Eliza. The scrolling headline read “Reynolds Pamphlet: Police Department Disgraced.”

Theo would have looked splendid in her dress uniform with all it’s medals and ribbons and marks of her service to the city, but her hat was pulled low to cover as much of her expression as possible. She stood staring blankly out as whatever was being said washed over her, Maria could tell that she was agitated. She looked thin as well and her eyes were dull and sunken as if she hadn’t eaten or slept in days, just like Maria. Maria could tell she was barely keeping herself together as she almost visibly vibrated on the screen. 

Eliza was just as tired and worn out, she stood at Theo’s elbow in a light blue suit, her hair tied up in a neat French Twist. She at least had some life in her eyes as she glared at different people in the audience, whatever they were saying was causing her to blaze with indignation.

“Turn the sound on.” Maria let out a hollow sob. She didn’t notice how she was shaking or the tears streaming down her face at the first glimpse of her mates in days.  When Hercules would have argued, she screamed at him, “Turn the sound on!!”

Maria tripped spinning around to glare at Hercules, but Lafayette was close enough to catch her. “Why don’t we go up to the living room where you can at least be comfortable? Oui, petit petale?”

Maria realized how tired she was and nodded numbly, allowed the tall French beta to guide her through the door in the back of the shop and up a set of stairs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m a horrible, horrible person…. I apologize. 
> 
> *whiny voice* I did give you guys the pretty bit about the dresses……
> 
> This update supported by CelticMuse34.  
> Talk to me on tumblr @immadoathing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok… So I have been trying, fam. For real…. I’m just working so much… I made some bad money decisions and have to get back on track so that means overtime at work. Which doesn’t leave much time for writing. In fact I should be sleeping bc I have to be at work tomorrow at 7 am and I worked a double today...
> 
> I had the worst fucking day and a rough couple weeks, roommate issues again. She getting on my nerves bc she refuses to help around the house. Plus getting pushed around at work by people who have no real control other than they have been there longer… I feel either that I’m getting hazed, or that the management of this particular shift is incompetent.
> 
> But last week I had an interview for a promotion. If I get it, I will be working less hours making more money and I won’t have to work as hard every day. I find out by the end of the week, so fingers crossed.

Officer Theodosia Prevost was furious. _Festering, pustulant, no-good, sodding, weak ass, limp dick of a man._ She was fuming, not very alpha like, but it was all she could do in this situation. 

First, Reynolds, or more accurately his lawyer, had been able to bribe the nurses at the hospital to keep her Omega locked up for longer than necessary. Through a ‘filing error’ Lafayette had told her as he and Alex waited for John’s teacher Dr. Manning to get Maria released from the hospital. Then, that same filing error ensured that neither she nor her Beta could even see their Omega at all during the five days they had held her at the Detox Facility. But to make matters worse, just as IA was about to clear her to return to duty pending completion of the one month suspension, this happened!

This was a full blown expose featuring her as some kid of deranged alpha who, Lupa Theo could barely even think it….. who preyed on the sweet and innocent, devoted wives of other alphas. Of course there were other instances in the report, colloquially called the Reynolds Pamphlet by the media, of other Mate Bonding divorces also painting the occurrence of Mate Bonding as something sinister and outdated. 

These uproars cropped up from time to time, people who either didn’t have mates or those who were spurned by a lover finding a mate in someone else and would stir up the ‘enlightened’ citizens of the country and debate would center around whether or not the government should have protections such as the Wexleburg Law, or make the people involved suck it up and stay with the one they had married. These things always died down, it just took time. However, this would take time out of their attempts to get Maria’s divorce. Plus, it may sway a judge and jury to keep Maria with her piece of shit husband, which was really what worried Theo.

“How do we know that your officers aren’t just prowling the streets looking for innocent omegas to prey on?” The grating voice of a reporter yanked Theo back to the matter at hand, the press conference.

Theo almost growled at the reporter, but Eliza’s soft hand on her wrist squeezed in warning. Mercer mopped at his bald head, he grumbled as he always did before addressing the question “My officers are all well trained and responsible. If I did not trust them with the safety of my own husband and pups, I would not let them even finish the academy. Our city is the safest in the state, in most part due to officers like Officer Prevost.”

“Prevost?” Another reporter cut in, “Isn’t that the alpha mentioned in the Reynolds Pamphlet? The one who has stolen not one, but two women from their loving husbands? One mate is in a Detox Facility by order of the county court for Suppressor abuse, is she not?”

Theo’s fingers dug into her hands, she could feel blood well up around her nails. She would have said something right there, and probably made the situation much worse, if Eliza hadn’t snorted and mumbled, “‘Loving husbands’ my right ovary.” Theo’s eyes flashed to her mate and she notice that other woman had a smirk on her face, the little minx knew exactly what to do and say to keep Theo calm. Suddenly, Theo was grateful that the police department insisted on her having a lawyer there to answer any questions on Theo’s behalf, even though she knew that Eliza’s presence was mostly to keep her calm so she wouldn’t say or do something stupid. She had been ready to fight it and disobey orders again, just to have one of them at the hospital with Herc’s pack mates to pic up Maria. As it was, she was just torn in two between her duty to the city and her love for her pack… _Rock and a hard place…_ Theo thought to herself… 

Mercer coughed, covering up a bark of laughter, he’d heard Eliza’s mutter. “The matter of Officer Prevost’s mates and their previous relationships is a private matter between those involved. The matter of the Suppressor overdose is a small thing, we all know how easy it is to mix up doses. My own Husband had a problem once right after he had our second pup.”

“So ‘all omegas have problems with suppressors, so we shouldn’t think about the problem at all?’ Is that what you’re saying, Chief Mercer?” A third reporter shouted.

“Absolutely not.” Mercer was glaring into the audience at the interruptions, but he managed to keep his feelings out of his voice and the rest of his face.  “The problem of suppressors is one that needs to be more fully researched and if anything this case should be used to garner more funding for research into safer, more stable alternatives. But this should not turn into a witch hunt focused on a few individuals that had nothing to do with—“

“What of the recent investigation and suspension of Officer Prevost?” It was the first, grating, reporter again. 

“Officer Prevost’s actions were deemed permissible due to the extenuating circumstances of the situation. The investigation and suspension were purely protocol-“ Mercer had to raise his voice to be heard over the first reporter’s shouting. 

“So officers can do what they want regardless of the law as long as they have so called ‘Mate Bonding’ as their excuse? What’s to stop any alpha from attacking or even raping innocents and claiming ‘I thought we mate bonded?” 

“We have followed all regulations in the case in question and an independent department has cleared all parties of wrongdoing. The allegations against Officer Prevost mentioned in these Reynolds Pamphlets are not an issue that the police department has jurisdiction over. Thank you for coming, good afternoon.” Mercer continued over the reporter. He finished and practically drug Theo and Eliza out of the room.

The reporter was on his feet trying to follow them out of the door. However, Mercer had the door closed and the three of them into his office before the pushy man could take two steps.  Mercer sighed and pointed to the two seats in front of his desk. He walked around the desk and leaned on it.

“Sir?” Theo started. She didn’t know what she would say, but she felt like she needed to say something or apologize.

Mercer held up a hand. “They just want a scapegoat, Prevost. Unfortunate they’ve chosen you… but you’re going to have to deal with it. In a month or two, the media will blow over onto some other scandal, at least we live in California and all those celebrities down in LA are always making a fuss. I’m going to have to put you on desk duty until this dies down though.”

“I cannot ride a desk, sir!” Theo shot up from her seat. It was Eliza who pulled her down. 

“I agree, not only as your mate, but as your lawyer. You are going to be a target for every idiot who wants to prove a point until this dies, Theo.” Eliza was pacing, working out the possibilities. 

“It’s not the best thing to happen, but you will have time to focus on your pack, Prevost.” Mercer was leaning over the desk, propped up on his meaty fists. 

“Yes, and we need to make sure Reynolds doesn’t try something worse with us.” Eliza said passing behind Theo again.

“What could Reynolds do that’s worse than this?” Theo asked. “He’s pretty much ensured that we can’t move forward with Maria until this case is heard…”

“Well Angelica already has another hearing scheduled with Judge Washington for the second of the year.” Eliza began. “That’s only five days away. Momma and Poppa want still want to have the Christmas party, now that Maria is out of the hospital at least…”

“Either way,” Chief Mercer interrupted. “You are on the bench for a little while longer. I want you back on your patrol as much as you want it, but I have to make sure you will be safe out there without a target on your back, Prevost. I’ll see you Monday, officer.”

It was a dismissal. Eliza was already out of the door, still going over all they needed to do. Theo stood and saluted the police chief before following her mate out to their car. They drove to their fiend’s house, the blanket of reporters outside of their own how was too thick to go home just to change clothes and go out again. 

In the car, Theo began to worry. What if Maria really didn’t want to see them? What if she had taken their names off of the visitor’s list because she decided she didn’t want them? That she didn’t want to be a part of this crazy, broken pack? Theo wouldn’t blame her. They had had nothing but stress and heartbreak since they had met. But Theo knew as surely as she knew her own name that if Maria decided to leave them, it would devastate the alpha. 

John had texted them the second they had discharged Maria form the Hospital, just two words: ‘Got her.’ And nothing else. The plan was to take Maria to Hercules’s house and maybe stay there for a few days so that Maria wouldn’t have to deal with as much. Hopefully, Maria was still at the tailor’s home when Theo and Eliza got there….

“What if…” Eliza said, her voice drifting off. She had a crease between her eyebrows and was lightly chewing her bottom lip, signs she was distressed. 

“What, love?” Theo reached over to take her Beta’s hand.

“What if she doesn’t want us after all of this?” Eliza said nervously, mirroring Theo’s thoughts. The hand that wasn’t taken by Theo’s plucked at her slacks, nervously playing with the folds. “It’s just that… I’m so bad at connecting with people in general. I haven’t had any of the time you’ve had to get to know her. What if she decides to leave before I have a chance to spend any time with her?”

“I’m worried about that too, my love.” Theo began after thinking of a few moments. “What if she wants to just leave? It’s not like we are the best mates, leaving her in the hospital like that. But I have to hope that she’ll at least give us the chance to make it up to her and repair what’s been broken. If it’s the last thing I do, I will make sure that you have the chance to really bond with her as long as she decides to stay with us.”

Eliza looked up at Theo and felt her heart swell with love and adoration for her alpha. She understood, Eliza was slow to develop feelings. She was guarded and with good reason. Growing up in the home of a politician had begun her education in containing herself. Years of hiding abuse at the hands of her ex-husband had seen Eliza mastering the art of paling her cards close to her chest. She was terrified that Maria would decide that this, they, were all too much to deal with. 

Eliza and Theo knew they would find a way to survive Maria leaving them, but their reality had been altered the second Theo had been sent on that call almost a month ago. They would find a way to go about their lives, but there would be a hole like what would remain when a plant is pulled from the ground. Maria had worked her way into their lives, their hearts. And like the roots of a rose hold onto the earth when the bush is pulled up, if Maria left she would take chunks of them with her. Holes. A hole that could only be filled by a tiny, fiery-eyed girl.

Amber eyes met dark brown. “We can do this.” Theo breathed.

Eliza sighed, she nodded and rushed out of the car in a fluid motion. In a second, her nervous core was covered by her serene shell. The only thing that told the lie of her calm was the death grip she had on Theo’s hand, she had returned to the side of her Alpha as soon as they were both out of the car.

“What do you mean, ‘he’s trying to blackmail my fucking mates?’ I’ll kill him and piss on his grave!”

Theo and Eliza had let themselves in thought the back door to the Mulligan’s home. They climbed to the second floor and were greeted with a very interesting scene.

Maria was standing toe-to-toe with Hercules, fists balled and ready to fight. Hercules looked like he was trying to battle two different instincts at the same time. First to respond to a threat inside his territory; second to protect an omega and give them what they wanted. John was hovering around Maria begging her to please take it easy, she needed to rest not start fights with friends. Lafayette was off to the side with Alexander both men trying to not let their laughter be heard at the situation.

Theo covered a laugh of her own with a cough. Eliza’s lips quirked as she spoke. “If we are interrupting anything?”

Her attention broken from the target of her ire, Maria spun. Her eyes wide and filled with tears. “Alpha?”

Theo nodded as if to say ‘Yes we’re here. We’re real.’ she opened her arms for Maria to run into. But before the other girl took more than five steps, she was toppling over. Both Theo and Eliza rushed to catch their mate and the three of them went down in a heap with Maria on top of her mates.  They were laughing and crying and oblivious to Laf pulling all of his mates up the stairs into another part of the house to give them privacy. If they had eyes for anyone other than each other, they couldn’t have seen anything else through their tears. They were finally together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep running through the timeline for the rest of this story and there are some things that are getting in my way… I want a few things to happen before this story ends, but I don’t know if I should add on part that will tie into the next arc…. IDK… I’ll figure it out. 
> 
> Next chapter you guys are going to get the Schuyler Christmas Extravaganza! After that there will either be two or three more chapters. I want this story to end very early January. In this timeline, they are already at December 26th or 27th.


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